Behind the smiles and the sanctions: The hidden truth about Israeli-European relations

Beneath the surface of public condemnation and headlines signaling a freefall in EU-Israel relations, a more complex reality persists. Professor Sharon Pardo of Ben-Gurion University, drawing on a comprehensive study of over 24,000 European External Action Service statements from 2017 to April 2026, highlights a stark disconnect.

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The numbers are striking: even before October 7, 38% of EU statements regarding Israel were negative, with only 13% positive. After the Hamas massacre, negativity surged to 46%, a figure Pardo calls an "obsessive and unhealthy preoccupation" that undermines Europe's own ambitions to be a credible mediator in the Middle East.

Even before October 7, 38% of EU statements concerning Israel were negative, with only 13% positive. This negativity escalated to 46% after the Hamas attack, a trend Pardo describes as an "obsessive and unhealthy preoccupation." This intense focus, he argues, undermines Europe's credibility as a Middle East mediator. For comparison, Qatar, despite its entanglement in the "Qatargate" bribery scandal, received 66% positive statements from the same EU body.

However, Pardo's research, conducted with the Jerusalem People's Policy Institute, reveals that behind the public posturing of boycotts and condemnations, crucial ties remain intact. Bilateral trade, intelligence sharing, and arms sales between Israel and major European countries like France and Germany have continued with little disruption. An unnamed European ambassador reportedly told Pardo that while boycotts are one-sided, weapons sales proceed normally.

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Qatar, despite its role in the infamous Qatargate bribery scandal that engulfed the European Parliament, still received 66% positive statements from the very same EU body.

This divergence between institutional EU pronouncements and national-level actions prompts critical questions about the true drivers of European foreign policy. Pardo suggests the consequences are most acutely felt by Europe's Jewish population, who face a surge in violent antisemitic incidents. He notes that these attacks are often not classified as terrorism by the EU, leaving Jewish communities feeling abandoned by both an Israel preoccupied with war and an EU that fails to adequately address the threat.

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As one unnamed European ambassador bluntly told him, the boycott flows only one way, while weapons sales continue as normal.

Israel also faces scrutiny, with Pardo asserting the nation has lacked a coherent strategy toward the EU, a vital partner for trade and research and development. With the EU's next R&D program, valued at €140 billion, under negotiation and calls for Israel's exclusion growing, the stakes for the relationship are exceptionally high.

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Israel, he argues, has never developed a coherent strategy toward the EU, one of its largest trade partners, accounting for 32% of all Israeli merchandise trade, and its number one partner in research and development.