The Council of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, in its legally mandated role as an advisory body to the government on issues of national importance in the fields of scientific research and planning, warns that recent political developments in the European Union pose a tangible threat to Israeli science and to the future of scientific cooperation between Israel and EU member states.
The European Union has recently initiated a review of its partnership agreement with Israel, invoking Article 2 of the agreement regarding human rights, in light of the war in Gaza and the ensuing humanitarian crisis. Although this is only the preliminary stage of a review process, it nevertheless constitutes a serious warning sign concerning the future of academic and scientific cooperation between Israel and Europe, and raises concern about Israel’s continued participation in flagship European research and development programs, most notably Horizon Europe.
The threat to European support channels—and thereby to the future of Israeli science—is compounded by troubling developments in the United States. Cuts to federal research budgets, the scaling back of collaborations with foreign researchers, and the freezing of bilateral grants under the Trump administration have already had a negative impact on Israeli research funding, with indications that the situation may further deteriorate. These trends have increased Israeli science’s reliance on cooperation with Europe and underscore the gravity and complexity of the current situation.
The scale of Israel’s scientific cooperation with Europe illustrates the magnitude of the risk posed by any disruption to the partnership agreement. According to data published by the Israel Innovation Authority in March, Israeli researchers and companies have received over €1 billion in recent years in research and innovation grants from Horizon Europe. Israel’s achievements in European programs—especially in the prestigious ERC grants—stand out relative to the size of the Israeli scientific community. According to the
2022 State of Science Report, more than 60% of co-authored scientific publications by Israeli researchers were with colleagues from European countries.
Potential consequences of damage to the partnership agreement include not only the loss of vital funding sources, but also harm to Israel’s ties with leading research institutions, exclusion from participation in groundbreaking international projects and infrastructures, diminished ability to recruit and retain outstanding researchers, and a significant erosion of Israel’s standing within the global scientific community. Needless to say, any weakening of this standing will have long-term ramifications on Israel’s economic resilience and national security.
Science has always served—and must continue to serve—as a vital bridge between peoples and cultures, even during times of political conflict. Scientific research, innovation, and international collaboration are fundamental to Israel’s capacity to confront the unprecedented challenges of our time. Preserving and strengthening Israel’s position in the global scientific arena is a matter of national strategic importance that demands long-term planning and foresight.
The Council of the Israel Academy calls upon the Government of Israel to act immediately and decisively, utilizing all available tools to prevent harm to the partnership agreement with the European Union. The government must work to establish conditions that will enable the continuation of economic and scientific cooperation with Europe, while addressing the concerns raised by the international community and safeguarding Israel’s national interests.
We call upon all European research and scientific institutions to refrain from allowing non-professional considerations to influence scientific collaboration with Israel. Actions such as halting research funding, severing ties, or engaging in academic boycotts risk harming not only Israeli science, but global progress and the common good.
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities remains firmly committed to strengthening the position of Israeli science among its counterparts in Europe and around the world, and to advancing international scientific cooperation rooted in the universal values of academic freedom, open knowledge exchange, and scientific responsibility in service of humanity and society.
Council Members of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities:
Prof. David Harel, President
Prof. Margalit Finkelberg, Vice President
Prof. Sergiu Hart, Chair of the Humanities Division
Prof. Yadin Dudai, Chair of the Natural Sciences Division
Prof. Nili Cohen, Past President
Ms. Esther Sivan, Director General