Public bodies in European Union (EU) countries have continued to\nengage in business cooperation worth billions of euros with Israeli\ncompanies, despite the country facing accusations of violating\ninternational law and alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip. The findings\nwere revealed in a Statewatch analysis published by Al Jazeera, based on\nEU procurement contract data. Yussef Al Tamimi, an assistant professor\nin the Department of Legal Studies at Central European University,\nVienna, assessed that the EU\u2019s approach to Israel is difficult to\njustify legally. According to him, the International Court of Justice\nhas established a clear obligation for all states to take steps to\neliminate, reduce, and remedy the illegal occupation of Palestine. He\nadded that the ruling is binding on all EU member states under\ninternational law.<\/p>\n
Data shows that between January 2022 and July 2025, public bodies in\nEU member states signed 194 contracts with Israeli companies worth\nnearly \u20ac2.7 billion, or approximately Rp56.13 trillion. The actual value\nis estimated to be even higher because some contracts do not disclose\nthe true value in public EU documents. Procurement activity actually\nincreased after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023. In the 21 months\nbefore the conflict, 82 contracts were recorded, worth more than \u20ac1.2\nbillion. In the 21 months after the war began, the number jumped to 112\ncontracts worth around \u20ac1.6 billion.<\/p>\n
Spain is one of the countries highlighted. Despite being known for\nits vocal criticism of Israel\u2019s military operations in Gaza, the country\nstill approved 14 contracts worth nearly \u20ac227 million. Most of these\nstemmed from a Spanish Ministry of Defence contract with Rafael Advanced\nDefense Systems in April 2024 for the procurement of air combat systems.\nThe Spanish police also purchased bulletproof vests from the Israeli\ncompany Marom Dolphin. Beyond Spain, Hungary holds the largest contract\nvalue, with 42 contracts worth almost \u20ac603 million. Germany has at least\n37 contracts with Israeli companies for the procurement of military\nequipment, cyber security software, laboratory equipment, and medical\ndevices, though several German contracts did not disclose detailed\ntransaction values. A spokesperson for the German Ministry for Economic\nAffairs and Energy asserted that Israeli companies can participate in\ngovernment tenders in accordance with EU procurement rules. The German\ngovernment also stated that every arms export licence is decided on a\ncase-by-case basis, considering foreign policy, security, and compliance\nwith international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n
Contracts with Israeli companies were also carried out by various\nuniversities, hospitals, police forces, and utility companies across\nEurope. These include the Polytechnic University of Madrid purchasing\nquantum computing equipment, the University Hospital of Leuven in\nBelgium procuring genome sequencing software, and the Italian Ministry\nof the Interior buying bulletproof vests from an Israeli company.\nEconomic relations between the EU and Israel remain strong. In 2024, the\nvalue of goods trade between the two parties reached \u20ac42.6 billion.\nIsrael also has access to various EU funding programmes, including the\n\u20ac95.5 billion Horizon Europe programme, and received research grants\ntotalling more than \u20ac1.11 billion between 2021 and 2024. Amnesty\nInternational urged the EU to immediately suspend the EU-Israel\nAssociation Agreement. Eve Geddie, Director of the Amnesty International\nEuropean Institutions Office, said verbal condemnation alone is not\nenough. \u201cIt is shameful that the EU has allowed and enabled Israel to\ncontinue its violations with complete impunity,\u201d she told Al Jazeera.\nAccording to her, the failure to take concrete steps erodes the\ncredibility of international law and the EU\u2019s commitment to protecting\nhuman rights.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/europes-double-standards-decrying-gaza-genocide-while-pouring-rp56-trillion-into-israel-1783227036", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }