Billions flow between EU institutions and Israel, despite Gaza genocide

What Happened

Between January 2022 and July 2025, public institutions in European Union member states signed 194 contracts worth nearly 2.7 billion euros ($3.1 billion) with Israeli companies, according to data collected by Statewatch and revealed by Al Jazeera. The majority of agreements—112 contracts worth 1.6 billion euros—were signed after October 2023, following the onset of the Gaza war. Spain’s Defence Ministry concluded a 207-million-euro contract with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for aerial combat systems in April 2024, while its police force purchased bulletproof vests from Marom Dolphin. Other notable contractors include Hungary, which signed 42 deals worth 603 million euros; Germany, with 37 contracts for military equipment, cybersecurity software, and medical tools; and Swedish and Belgian universities and utilities. The data set, drawn from the EU’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) website, likely understates total values, as some contracts list implausibly low sums. Yussef Al Tamimi, a legal scholar at Central European University, told Al Jazeera that the EU’s permissive approach is “legally untenable” given the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion that all states must act to end Israel’s unlawful occupation and avoid facilitating it.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The contracts reveal a widening gap between EU members’ diplomatic criticisms of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and their continued economic and military procurement ties. The post-October 2023 surge in deals, particularly for advanced weaponry and dual-use technology, raises questions about compliance with the ICJ’s binding advisory opinion and obligations under the Genocide Convention. The business-as-usual approach, especially by vocal critics like Spain and Sweden, underscores the challenge of aligning trade policies with international legal findings and may influence ongoing ICJ proceedings and EU-level debates on arms exports and sanctions.

Watch For

Potential legal challenges or complaints filed by civil society groups invoking the ICJ opinion; EU or national parliamentary inquiries into member states’ contracting practices; updates from the ICJ on the genocide case or further provisional measures; responses from the European Commission to clarify EU law on public procurement and international obligations; and any decisions by individual governments to suspend or cancel existing contracts with Israeli firms.