EU diplomats confirm they won't yet sanction Israel on Gaza

EU diplomats on Monday failed to agree once again on a partial suspension of Israel from the Horizon Europe fund in response to the war in Gaza, several diplomats said.

Gathered online for their regular Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party and despite mounting pressure on Israel over the hunger crisis in Gaza, the 27 EU diplomats still couldn’t reach any qualified majority on a European Commission proposal to cut Israel from partial access to the EU's €95 billion Horizon Europe research fund.

“The situation has not changed,” one EU diplomat said, referring to a formal meeting of EU ambassadors last week which also failed to agree to the Commission’s proposal. The diplomat said the issue was now in the hands of the EU’s foreign affairs ministers, who will meet informally on 29 August.

With Israel facing global criticism over allowing starvation in the besieged strip and talks between Hamas and Israel at an impasse, the proposal itself would be a largely symbolic gesture.

Israel would lose access to €200 millions' worth of future grants and investments in Horizon's European Investment Council (EIC) which specialises in so-called disruptive technologies. Commission officials say it would not affect support for fundamental or collaborative research.  

But even for a minimal sanction, there was no agreement among Europeans on Monday. Some EU countries have preferred to condemn Israel through individual initiatives like France’s recognition of Palestine.   

The diplomat said support from the big countries like Germany or Italy, which is essential for a qualified majority vote to pass, was still lacking on Monday.

Germany and Italy are part of those who “prefer that dialogue with Israel continues”, he said, while France, Spain and Ireland support the Commission proposal. Others including Romania and Finland “are still examining” the text, he said.

“The refusal of certain member states to take even this smallest possible step to pressure Israel, while civilians continue to be killed and starved in Gaza, is absolutely incriminating,” said Martin Konecny, who heads the European Middle East Project in Brussels.

Monday’s meeting also took place a day after videos showing two Israeli hostages in Gaza appearing emaciated and distressed were released, sparking outrage among western leaders.