Above photo: AFP via Getty Images.
The funding violates the EU ‘dual-use’ ban on research projects that can be applied for military purposes.
The EU has diverted millions in funding meant for civilian research programs over to Israeli arms manufacturers, according to public data cited by Middle East Eye (MEE).
The data shows that Israeli firms crucial to Tel Aviv’s military industry have repeatedly taken part in EU-supported research, including as part of the Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 programs.
Horizon Europe is a major EU research and innovation funding program that builds on its predecessor Horizon 2020. Both aim to boost science and address issues such as climate change.
According to the data, between 2014 and 2025, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe allocated over $15 million to Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) – a state-owned company and one of Israel’s top arms manufacturers.
The firm has produced drones, missile systems, and surveillance technology used against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The EU maintains strict restrictions on the nature of the research allowed under the Horizon programs.
The funding to Israeli arms manufacturers is a violation of an EU ban on “dual-use” research, which can aid military projects.
An anonymous European expert for research and tech development described the funding as “the malignant application of good intentions” while speaking to MEE.
“The European Commission is not a neutral administrative body. Its decisions are strategic and political, and they do not necessarily reflect the will of European citizens,” the expert added.
Members of the European Parliament have expressed concern about the funding.
“They basically told us to trust them. We might have transferred the information; we might not have. The militarization of Horizon Europe, both in intentions and in outcomes, necessitates a rethinking of the European scientific and academic landscape,” said Marc Botenga, a Belgian MEP.
Last year, reports revealed that Europe remains the largest buyer of Israeli-made weapons.
In 2024, European nations purchased $8 billion worth of Israeli weapons, helping to finance Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Israeli media revealed in October that Germany approved arms sales to Israel worth at least $2.9 million in violation of its own export ban on weapons that could be used to commit war crimes in Gaza.
The EU has also continued to maintain trade with illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
