EU pursues closer Israel ties on air defense and space
Israel Space Agency chief met with EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva for talks this week.
The European Union is pursuing closer ties with Israel in the fields of high-tech air defense and space capabilities. In recent meetings, Israeli officials have sought to strengthen collaboration with the EU in areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics. Israel's Space Agency head, Shimrit Maman, recently traveled to Brussels to meet with European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, to discuss these key areas.
Ahead of a major European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speech on space at a Paris summit, Maman warned that the militarization of space is already underway and that Israel is gaining interest from allies in dual-use technology for both civilian and defense purposes. The EU has been working on early warning systems, as demonstrated during recent missile strikes against Iran, where Israel managed to warn civilians and minimize casualties.
Recent agreements between the EU and Israel include the creation of an EU-funded air defense shield and a €3 billion deal between Greece and Israel to build a new multilayered air defense network. Additionally, Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems plans to open a factory in Germany for producing its Iron Dome air-defense system.
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