The EU has put funding for the Palestinian Authority on hold following this weekend’s terror attack by Hamas in Israel.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi announced that the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio — totaling €691 million — under review, with all payments immediately suspended.
“The foundations for peace, tolerance and co-existence must now be addressed. Incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many,” the Hungarian commissioner said. “We need action and we need it now.”
The move comes as Germany and Austria announced the suspension of aid to the Palestinian territories.
How much EU aid is given to Israel per year, may I ask?
That’s a great question, but very difficult to answer accurately.
One example is the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, which gave a total of $450 million to Israel. The new updated version called Horizon Europe is expected to give about $1.35 billion in aid to Israel.
The reality of military aid is that it often comes in the form of a taxpayer funded discount. When Israel buys weapons from Italy, France, Germany, and especially the US, it often comes in the form of a “buy one, get one 1/2 off” type of discount. It’s a win for the buyer, it’s a win for the politicians, it’s a win for the arms manufacturers. Of course it’s a loss for the taxpayers, and especially for the people who are targeted by the weapons, but these groups do not have a seat at the negotiating table so their concerns are dismissed. If there is an accurate financial assessment of this type of aid, I am unfortunately unaware of it.