An attempt to boycott Israel by the European Union failed.

An attempt led by European Union countries to suspend Israel from the Horizon Europe funding program, which supports technological innovation projects, failed as it did not gather the necessary support to move forward.

The proposal sought to exclude Israel from the Accelerator of the European Innovation Council, which funds startups in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and drone technology.

The initiative was promoted as part of a pressure campaign against Israel for its handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, amid accusations of malnutrition and obstacles to the entry of aid.

However, the measure did not obtain the required qualified majority—at least 15 of the 27 member countries representing 65% of the bloc's population—due to the refusal of several key countries, including Germany and Italy, which requested more time to assess the situation.

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the proposal as "wrong, regrettable, and unjustified", emphasizing that it is an attempt to punish a democratic country fighting against Hamas's Islamist terrorism.

"Any such decision only strengthens Hamas and undermines the chances of reaching a ceasefire and a framework for the release of the hostages," the ministry said in a statement.

Despite pressure from countries such as France, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, the proposal did not even reach a formal vote.

Instead, it was postponed pending whether the humanitarian situation in Gaza improves in the coming days.

Among the countries that directly opposed the proposal are Hungary, Bulgaria, and Czechia, all historic allies of Israel within the European bloc. Germany and Hungary have maintained a firm stance of support for Israel since the beginning of the conflict with Hamas in October 2023.

The Horizon Europe program, with a budget of 95.5 billion euros, is one of the EU's most ambitious projects in science and technology.

Israel participates in the program as an associate member, on equal terms with member states, and its exclusion from the segment dedicated to startups would have had a negative impact on numerous joint projects with European companies and institutions.