On July 28, 2025, the European Commission proposed to partially suspend Israel’s participation to Horizon Europe.
The suspension specifically concerns the participation of entities established in Israel in activities funded under the Accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC).
This suspension comes as a reaction to the review Art. 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Respect for these obligations constitutes an essential part of EU-Israel cooperation under the Agreement, including for bilateral scientific and technological cooperation between the two parties.
Earlier in May 2024, ARIJ published an investigation entitled “European Research Grants Support the War on Gaza“, revealing that research funding provided to Israeli arms companies under the European Horizon 2020 program, supported sectors within these companies engaged in manufacturing military equipment used in the war on Gaza.
This decision will affect the participation of Israeli entities in the EIC Accelerator, which targets start-ups and small businesses with disruptive innovations and emerging technologies that have potential dual-use applications, such as in cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence.
