Chris Wick News

Berlin just slammed the brakes on Europe’s attempt to sanction Israel — and the move is shaking the foundations of EU unity. While Gaza bleeds, Germany has chosen to shield Israel from deeper economic consequences, rejecting proposals that would have cut off Israeli access to billions in EU research funds.

The European Commission had floated measures to suspend Israel from Horizon Europe — a lucrative research program that fuels start-ups in drones, cybersecurity, and AI. The plan was meant to pressure Tel Aviv into allowing desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, where famine has already taken hold and over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war erupted.

But Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul dismissed the idea outright. Speaking at an EU meeting in Copenhagen, he insisted that cutting research funding wouldn’t change Israel’s military calculus. Instead, Berlin pointed to its decision to restrict weapons deliveries — but even that rings hollow when thousands of civilians are still starving and dying daily.

Other EU states are furious. Denmark has signaled support for tougher trade sanctions, Spain has called out Europe’s paralysis, and Slovenia accused the bloc of doing “nothing” while Gaza collapses. The EU was quick to unite on sanctions against Russia over Ukraine — yet when it comes to Israel, consensus crumbles.

This fracture exposes a brutal truth: Europe is divided between those who see Gaza as a humanitarian catastrophe demanding urgent action, and those who prioritize their alliance with Israel over the lives of Palestinians. With Germany standing firm, the EU may never muster the will to act — even as famine spreads and outrage grows.