EU Commission Advocates Punitive Measures Against Israel Regarding Gaza Conflict
The European Union (EU) has proposed a partial suspension of Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe science research program, specifically targeting Israeli access to the European Innovation Council (EIC) accelerator grants supporting startups [1][2][4]. This move comes in response to Israel's conduct in Gaza and the resulting severe humanitarian crisis.
The suspension proposal primarily affects small businesses and startup grants within the Horizon Europe program, an area where Israel has benefited substantially since 2021 [4]. The EU's decision is linked to a formal assessment concluding that Israel violated human rights clauses (Article 2) of its association agreement, including accusations of war crimes such as indiscriminate attacks and starvation policies in Gaza [1][2].
The European Commission describes the suspension as targeted, reversible, and not affecting academic or collaborative research, focusing only on the Innovation Council accelerator component [2]. If the EU Commission's proposal is accepted, the participation of Israeli institutions in activities funded by the EIC would be suspended.
Despite the proposal and increasing EU rhetoric condemning Israeli actions—including EU officials citing starvation, torture, and apartheid—the decision on formal sanctions requires a qualified majority vote, which was not reached at the July 29, 2025 meeting [1]. A majority of 15 out of the 27 EU countries, representing at least 65 percent of the population of the participating member states, is sufficient for the implementation of the proposed sanctions.
Countries like Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have repeatedly expressed criticism of sanctions demands against Israel in recent times. However, Germany and others have recently shifted toward stronger criticism of Israel’s humanitarian blocking actions [1][2].
The EU continues to provide substantial humanitarian aid to Palestine, with over €500 million committed since 2023, and calls for full implementation of an agreement with Israel to allow humanitarian access to Gaza [3]. Legal action has also been initiated by advocacy groups urging the EU Court of Justice to compel the EU institutions to act on perceived Israeli violations [1].
Israel plans to work to ensure that the recommendation for sanctions is not accepted by the EU Council of Ministers. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized the recommendation for sanctions against Israel as "erroneous, regrettable, and unjustified." Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip have been found to violate the principle of respect for human rights as established in the 2000 association agreement.
The statement from the EU Commission notes that the situation in the Gaza Strip remains serious, despite Israel announcing a daily humanitarian pause in the fighting. The suspension of Israeli institutions' participation in activities funded by the EIC would affect start-ups and small companies working in the fields of cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence.
In summary, the EU is actively pursuing sanctions focused on research funding as a response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, but as of July 30, 2025, these sanctions have not yet been approved by the member states, with negotiations and discussions ongoing [1][2][4]. The humanitarian situation remains critical, and the EU continues to urge Israel to uphold humanitarian commitments while providing aid to the Gaza population [3].
- The EU's proposed suspension of Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe science research program is linked to Israel's conduct in Gaza, particularly the violations of human rights clauses under Article 2 of its association agreement, which include accusations of war crimes like indiscriminate attacks and starvation policies.
- The EU's decision to suspend Israeli institutions' participation in activities funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) accelerator grants, primarily affecting small businesses and startups, is a response to Israel's alleged human rights violations, specifically in Gaza, regarding accusations of war crimes and severe humanitarian crisis.
