Europe facilitates the expansion of companies linked to the genocide in Palestine
A report published by ODHE, SUDS, NOVACT and Irídia identifies nine pathways through which military, surveillance, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence companies linked to the occupation, apartheid and genocide in Palestine gain access to funding, contracts and business structures within the European Union
Technologies developed and tested in the context of the genocide in Palestine are entering the European security market. This is the warning raised in the report The Gateways of Genocide Technology into Europe, published by the Observatory of Human Rights and Business in the Mediterranean (ODHE), SUDS, NOVACT and Irídia – Centre for the Defence of Human Rights.
The investigation identifies nine pathways through which the Israeli defence tech sector is penetrating Europe. This ecosystem includes military, cybersecurity, surveillance, drone and artificial intelligence companies linked to the occupation, apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian population.
According to the report, since October 2023 this sector has experienced significant growth driven by the escalation of Israeli violence, which has turned Palestinian territory into both a laboratory and a showcase for Israeli military and technological products.
At the same time, the war has also accelerated the relocation abroad of many Israeli companies. Difficulties in accessing capital, declining foreign investment and disruptions caused by the war have pushed many companies to seek new destinations from which to operate. According to the investigation, one in five Israeli technology companies has moved part of its operations outside Israel since the beginning of the genocide.
Europe as a space for corporate expansion
The report states that the European Union has become a strategic destination for these companies, allowing them to access funding, public tenders, research and development contracts and to operate within the European single market.
The investigation highlights that 54% of Israeli military industry export contracts signed during 2024 were with European countries, with an approximate value of 8 billion dollars.
Among the main entry routes identified are the creation of European subsidiaries and branches, rebranding strategies to conceal links with Israeli parent companies, the acquisition of European companies and participation in supranational structures such as NATO.
The report particularly highlights the role of Germany, Luxembourg and Cyprus as gateways into the European market. Germany concentrates contracts, exports and influence structures linked to the Israeli military lobby, while Cyprus and Luxembourg offer tax advantages, corporate infrastructure and flexible business mechanisms that facilitate the establishment and expansion of these companies within the EU.
Surveillance companies and dual-use technologies
The investigation identifies around twenty Israeli defence technology companies that have consolidated their presence in the European market over the last two years. These include Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, XTEND Defense, NextVision and Cyberbit.
One of the cases analysed is NSO Group, the company behind the Pegasus spyware software, widely known in Catalonia because of the CatalanGate case. According to the report, the company operates from Luxembourg through a complex and opaque corporate structure that enables it to move across jurisdictions and evade stricter regulations.
The report also warns that many of these technologies are dual-use products, meaning they can be used both in military contexts and in border control policies, mass surveillance, police repression or the persecution of social protest.
The organisations behind the report denounce that this corporate expansion is taking place in a context of weak public oversight, fragmented regulation and a lack of effective human rights due diligence mechanisms.
Barcelona and Fira identified as landing spaces
The report includes a specific section on Barcelona, identified as an emerging cybersecurity hub and as a landing space for Israeli companies or companies linked to its technological ecosystem. International trade fairs, foreign investment attraction and the city’s technological infrastructure have turned Barcelona into a strategic platform for these companies.
The investigation also points to the role of Fira de Barcelona, which repeatedly hosts companies involved in the genocide against the Palestinian people. According to the report, these spaces contribute to normalising and commercialising military, surveillance and dual-use technologies under narratives of innovation and cybersecurity.
In response, the organisations behind the report call for a review of institutional, commercial and financial relations with the Israeli military and security sector, the exclusion of companies involved in serious human rights violations from European public procurement and funding programmes, and stronger controls over dual-use technologies.