EU seeks closer cooperation with Israel on air defense, space capabilities: Report

Israel Space Agency director met Tuesday with European commissioner in Brussels By Melike Pala BRUSSELS (AA) - The EU is seeking to deepen cooperation with Israel in high-tech air defense and space capabilities as it moves to strengthen its strategic and technological capacity amid growing geopolitical tensions, the Politico news outlet reported Tuesday. Israel Space Agency Director Shimrit Maman visited Brussels and met Tuesday with European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva for talks on artificial intelligence, robotics and other advanced technologies. The visit comes ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's major speech on space policy at a summit in Paris, where she is expected to highlight the need for Europe to strengthen its capabilities. "It's very hard to do things on your own," Maman told Politico, stressing the importance of international cooperation as space becomes increasingly militarized. Maman said Israel has seen growing interest from partner countries in "dual-use" technologies that can serve civilian and defense purposes. The EU's interest in Israeli defense technology comes after years of strained relations linked to political tensions surrounding Israel's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, according to Politico. Growing competition with the US and strategic challenges posed by Russia and China have, however, increased pressure on European countries to strengthen their defense and technological capabilities, said the news outlet. In 2024, von der Leyen backed calls by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the creation of an EU-funded air defense shield. The initiative failed to advance after the European Commission and several member states concluded that it would likely depend on Israeli air defense technology, which considered politically sensitive amid the attacks in Gaza, according to three senior officials involved in the discussions, who were cited by Politico. More recently, however, cooperation between Israel and European countries has expanded. Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems confirmed Monday that it will establish a factory in Germany to produce its Iron Dome air defense system at a former Volkswagen facility. Greece also reached a €3 billion ($3.4 billion) agreement with Israel's Defense Ministry last week to develop a multilayered air defense network capable of countering drones, aircraft and rockets. Kaynak: This news has been read 33 times in total