We present cumulative data and statistics collected since the launch of the fully-fledged version of the EIC Accelerator in June 2021.
Israel received more funding from the European Innovation Fund than ⅔ of all EU countries combined
https://www.lira.ltd/the-eic-accelerator-cumulative-data-stats-3/
62 Comments
DreamAccountant@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 361d
Never fund theocracies. It doesn't matter what religion, don't fund theocracies. In any way. Ever.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 11 pts · 361d
lmao you think it's because of religion.
Yeah nothing to do with the fact some countries are making bank selling them drones and white phosphorus and shit
Samskara@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 361d
Israel is a leading producer and exporter of drones themselves. I don’t think they import many.
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 9 pts · 361d
Israel is not a theocracy; it's an ethnostate.
Taldan@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 361d
It is officially a theocracy. Citizenship is given based on religion, rather than ethnicity
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 3 pts · 360d
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Return
Practicing Judaism as a religion is basically irrelevant to whether one is legally considered a Jew in Israel. I mean hell, 20% of Israeli Jews don't believe in a deity yet get all the perks one gets due to being a Jewish citizen of Israel. See: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_Israel
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 360d
Depressing that it's only 20%. (I'm in those 20%)
Samskara@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 361d
Most countries in Europe are ethnostates.
NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 3 pts · 360d
On paper yes, but in the real world not really. The far right is trying to change that and I think we can all agree those guys suck.
talkingpumpkin@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 361d
I won't comment on the obviously partial title (OP's title, not the linked article's) and on the fact that the article's analyzes the investments done since 2021 (ie. when Israel didn't kill people willy-nilly, not as much as it does now at least), but I would love to know why on earth the UK and (especially) Israel are included in the program.
I mean, the EIC Accelerator funds come from the EU (IIUC - does Israel actually contribute?)... even if one were to ignore the ongoing mass extermination of Gazaui, why would an EU institution invest in Israel?
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 15 pts · 361d
[Edit: all is clear now, see my other reply]
Speaking from Israel, I'm just as confused as you are. My best guess: Israel's reputation (before the war) as a "Start-Up Nation" was well earned, a lot of technology and innovation was happening here. Arguably still is (hard to tell with all the war stuff). So generally it made sense to invest in Israeli startups simply to advance technology in general.
But this is obviously an EU-centric program. All other countries listed are EU. So it's still weird.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 2 pts · 361d
Because they invest in weaponry and surveillance tech. It's the laboratory.
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 10 pts · 361d
From the article linked by OP:
Weapons aren't really part of this.
Saleh@feddit.org · 6 pts · 361d
The program is said to be for Civilian purposes only, but a lot of these aspects fall under "dual use" and it is enough to "state" a Civilian purpose. In the context of Israel we know the government and affiliated institutions to be notorious liars.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/18/eu-horizon-funding-israel
Manufacturing, Digital, Space Tech and Robotics are strong candidates for military technology. In particular Digital probably contains "cyber"-security which means both offense and defense capabilities for military uses, AI for mass surveillance by the police can be used for surveillance and targeting of "hostile" Civilians in a military context. Space Tech probably contains technology usable for spy satellites and missile systems. Robotics probably contains controls and technology usable for military surveillance and combat drones. As for manufacturing, high-tech military equipment relies on high-tech production systems.
Babalugats@feddit.uk · -3 pts · 361d
It wouldn't matter, as the money that is saved is probably spent on weapons.
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 361d
What are you talking about? The money doesn't go to the Israeli government, it goes to the private companies or individuals who applied for the grant. Are you saying that every single person and organization in this country invests any spare cash they've got on weapons?
Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 361d
I don't know the products involved in these programs as the article doesn't mention anything about that, but the vast majority of Israel's surveillance tech and related policies doesn't come from Europe but from China:
How Chinese firm linked to repression of Uyghurs aids Israeli surveillance in West Bank Cameras made by Hikvision [...] blanket the occupied West Bank.
Mass Surveillance Fuels Oppression of Uyghurs and Palestinians Israel, Like China, Has Weaponized Surveillance Technology to Suppress Peaceful Dissent
Even 'leftist' magazines have been reporting on the relationship between Chinese Surveillance and Israeli Settler Colonialism.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 1 pts · 361d
Ah yes aren't we stupid, it's all because of China.
Anything to deflect from our own responsibility, innit?
Some of the money went to IBM Israel:
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/03/21/israeli-researchers-companies-secure-over-1-1-billion-euros-in-eu-grants/
IBM Israel built the infrastructure for Lavender and other automated genocide systems
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/un-report-lists-companies-complicit-in-israels-genocide-who-are-they
I'm not fucking Chinese. I have a say on what WE do, not them.
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 361d
Trying to parse your comment... Are you saying Europe invests in weaponry and surveillance, or Israel does? Is Israel the laboratory, as in, Europe is 'using' Israel to tests weapons?
I'm not really interested in this topic, but I don't think the programs talked about here are in those industries. Will have to check.
Skua@kbin.earth · 10 pts · 361d
It's part of Horizon Europe, which has a whole bunch of non-EU members who also pay into it
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 7 pts · 361d
Okay, I found the answer:
https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator_en
For Horizon Europe, the easiest list to find is on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Europe
In short, Israel is part of the program.
Szewek@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 361d
Yeah, Israel and UK contribute to the Horizon Europe's budget, and are fully eligible to the grants under the program.
The program is managed by the European Commission. Thus, in theory, the countries outside the EU pay but have no influence on the decision-making bodies. This can be a big disadvantage in more politically loaded processes. I suspect (from my experience with the ERC) that the selection process under Horizon Europe is build very much to focus on evaluating each project separately, not providing equity by country. Israel and the UK get a lot of funds since from there come project that, if not good, are at the very least popular. Or rather: That the decision boards, usually filled with specialists from the respective fields, find to have the highest feasibility times impact (figuratively, as, to the best of my knowledge, no such value is calculated).
I see no conspiracy or a bypass to support Israel with extra money here. They were just good at writing grant proposal (or however you call it in the startup world), and they were allowed to be a part of EU's research program as they have always been.
They benefit from it nevertheless. And it is high time to end the collaboration. It is already being discussed. And it is good to know it would hurt indeed - thanks for the research, OP's sources!
https://efe.com/en/latest-news/2025-07-28/eu-suspension-israels-horizon-europe-gaza-attacks/
gnutrino@programming.dev · 5 pts · 361d
AFAIK the funding ultimately comes out of the Horizon Europe pot of which Israel is a fully paid up associated member. I also wonder how they're defining which country a given grant goes to - lots of Israeli headquartered companies have extensive operations in EU countries.
meliante@lemmy.pt · 14 pts · 361d
Lots of Israel ball gobblers here, for some reason.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 9 pts · 361d
Feddit is German
Baked86@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 361d
dumnezero@piefed.social · 2 pts · 361d
Wait, is Israel in the EU?
Skua@kbin.earth · 7 pts · 361d
No, but this is not strictly an EU program. The UK and Norway both received funding, and there are heaps of other non-EU countries like Tunisia, Egypt, and Canada in it
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 2 pts · 361d
Neither of those bombs civilians.
Skua@kbin.earth · 6 pts · 361d
I didn't say anything about whether Israel deserves funding or not. Athough of note is that this program is not for governments, so it is not going to the Israeli government
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · -1 pts · 361d
Some of the money went to IBM Israel, who directly helped the IDF building systems like where's daddy or lavender, who automated the genocide.
https://thegrayzone.com/2025/08/30/eu-funding-israeli-military-tech/
Skua@kbin.earth · 6 pts · 361d
That's a reasonable thing to oppose, but almost definitely not what OP's article is talking about. It's about the EIC Accelerator funds, which are not the only thing Horizon Europe does. IBM Israel is almost certainly way too big to have received anything from EICA
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 1 pts · 361d
Semantics. We shouldn't associate with genocidal regime at all.
Scotty@scribe.disroot.org · 2 pts · 361d
If you read the stats and you come up with such an (edited) title, it is clear that OP has an agenda. This is not about information or instigating a discussion because they are interesting in something, it's just to spread someone's propaganda.
Babalugats@feddit.uk · 6 pts · 361d
What are you talking about, an agenda? I presented the link and the graph and gave the post a title as to what stood out the most to me.
I didn't include the UK because I thought that the UK had still been in the EU in 2021 (I misremembered that Brexit was November 2021 and not 2020) - Regardless, UK is in Europe. Israel is not, and never has been to my knowledge.
Quittenbrot@feddit.org · 4 pts · 361d
So?
The data you've shown here is about the EIC (European Innovation Council), which is funded by Horizon Europe, in which, despite its name, also non-European countries can be (associated) members of. This includes Israel, but also Turkey, Canada or Tunisia, i.a.. Those members obviously also have to pay into it.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 6 pts · 361d
As an european I don't want my name associated with genocidal regime, especially when those regime develop surveillance technologies and drones that one day might be used on civilians population here.
Quittenbrot@feddit.org · -2 pts · 361d
..and that's fine.
But that's something different than to try to make it appear as though Israel is somehow unjustifiably being fed "European money" here.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 6 pts · 361d
Of course it's unjustifiable, what the fuck. They're bombing civilians. Are you justifying any association with a genocidal regime?
Quittenbrot@feddit.org · 4 pts · 361d
I replied to this comment:
So unjustifiable in terms of "look, there is this non-European country that gets money from this European fund.". That's simply not the case, as this "European fund" is also funded by non-European countries (for exampe Israel).
If you want all Israeli science projects, startups and companies currently partaking in the EIC to be expelled due to the actions of the Israeli government, that's totally fine by me. But as said, this can and should be done in a direct and honest approach instead of creating the scandalising and false sentiment that a non-European country is somehow unjustifiably being fed European money here.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 0 pts · 361d
Honestly, I'd rather be accused of inaccuracy than being complicit with a genocide.
Scotty@scribe.disroot.org · 2 pts · 361d
@Babalugats@feddit.uk
An important detail that others have already said is that the EU collaborates with a lot of non-EU and also with non-European countries. Here is a list of the EU's Science and Technology Agreements with non-EU countries.
It has also been said that these countries must contribute financially for the projects they apply, another point that is important in this context that you didn't mention.
What 'stood out most' to you and the way you represented it is a detail out of context that ends up in an article reflecting a completely distorted reality.
Babalugats@feddit.uk · -1 pts · 361d
A more important detail is that Europe is collaborating with a Genocidal regime here.
It has also been said that many of the Israeli projects have ended up helping Israel to commit genocide.
What stood out most is that Israel is committing genocide and undoubtedly benefiting from these funds. As a European, I am disgusted that there is any involvement in such a way, but i am glad that it is public as it allows people to make up their own minds and see things as they are. Similarly it shows that these instances seem to have started heading the same way as sub forums with like named topics went.
Scotty@scribe.disroot.org · 2 pts · 361d
@Babalugats@feddit.uk
Do you even recognize that you post the same comment no matter what the issue is? You are just repeating one and the same argument whatever one says.
Babalugats@feddit.uk · -2 pts · 361d
Not the same comment, but the same point. I thought I would challenge you at your own game.
BTW, it's the European invocation Fund, not the EU innovation fund.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 3 pts · 361d
Propaganda like "we shouldn't fund genocidal technologies"?
Scotty@scribe.disroot.org · 1 pts · 361d
You can criticize Israel's genocide, but this article is about something else. OP picked and chose some details out of context to provide a desired narrative, a 'method' that is unfortunately widespread here.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 7 pts · 361d
Narrative like "we shouldn't associate with genocidal regime"?
I subscribe to that narrative
8uurg@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 361d
That is different than 'funding genocidal technologies' that you previously stated though: the grants specifically target civilian (not military) applications, albeit, some technologies may be dual use. It is not like the money is used for murder machines. Nevertheless, disassociating may be a good idea due to these dual use applications.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 1 pts · 361d
Some of the money got granted to IBM, who helped the IDF create Where's daddy, Lavender and other "targeted" bombing systems.
8uurg@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 361d
I doubt the IEC accelerator will fund IBM, as it only funds start-ups and SMEs (small businesses?). They might have gotten Horizon Europe funding, but that generally comes with very strict reporting requirements. You should be able to find the project here if that were the case.
That said, we don't have much business funding IBM, they have sufficient money from their previous 'ventures'.
KIKILOVE@piefed.social · 2 pts · 361d
Indeed it seems to be some other program under Horyzon.
Still though. The UE removed funding for british researchers during Brexit. That was a bad idea. The UK voted for a political decision, they didn't commit war crime.
On the other side, we should not have business with israel at all.