Israel faces Horizon Europe exclusion under new EU rights rules

Israel faces potential exclusion from Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research program, under proposed rules tying participation to human rights and genocide convention compliance, threatening billions in grants and decades of scientific cooperation. The draft 2028-2034 rules condition non-EU participation on adherence to European values, including the Genocide Convention, a clause absent from prior versions. Israeli diplomats are lobbying European Parliament members ahead of a late November vote, fearing political interpretation of unresolved genocide allegations could bar the country. Israel received roughly 1.8 billion euros from European programs between 2014 and 2020, with exclusion risking a brain drain and marking a major win for boycott advocates. The provision may not formally apply to existing participants, and final adoption requires lengthy negotiations among EU institutions.