Europe's German authorities will not endorse economic penalties imposed by the European Union against Israel.

In a recent development, Germany has decided not to approve the proposed EU sanctions against Israel, a move that has caused a split within the European Union.

The EU Commission's proposed sanctions, which have the support of several EU countries including Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and others, aim to put pressure on Israel to improve humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The draft legal text accuses Israel of violating human rights and international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of death due to a hunger crisis caused by Israel, and the text mentions thousands of civilian deaths and a rapidly increasing number of cases of severe malnutrition, especially among children, in Gaza.

The EU Commission's sanctions proposal includes a prohibition on Israeli institutions participating in certain projects funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC), affecting start-ups and small companies in cybersecurity, drones, and artificial intelligence.

However, Germany, led by Minister Johann Wadephul, is blocking these sanctions, particularly opposing restrictions on scientific cooperation. Instead, Germany is restricting arms deliveries to Israel.

Israeli universities and researchers would not be affected by the proposed measure in terms of cooperation projects and research activities within Horizon, the EU's research funding programme.

The implementation of the EU Commission's sanctions proposal depends on receiving the support of a qualified majority in the Council of Member States, requiring the approval of 15 out of the 27 EU countries, representing at least 65% of the population of the participating member states.

Recently, only the support of Germany or Italy was still missing for the sanctions proposal, with all other major EU countries and many smaller ones in favour of the punitive measure. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares expressed his incomprehension at Germany's rejection of the Commission's proposal.

EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas warned of the consequences of failing to agree on the "quite mild" Commission proposal. She stated that the EU can only shape its relations with Israel based on human rights. If there are massive violations, as the EU Commission has stated, action must be taken.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul explained this at an EU meeting in Copenhagen. Israel, on the other hand, defends its actions as a necessary response and demands the release of all hostages, with another goal being to disarm and dismantle the terrorist organization Hamas.

The situation remains fluid, with concerns that the intense domestic political debate in Germany could impact the German government's position on the sanctions proposal. The EU Commission has proposed a partial suspension of Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe research funding programme, effective immediately. The future of this proposal and its impact on Israel's relations with the EU remains to be seen.

Europe's German authorities will not endorse economic penalties imposed by the European Union against Israel.