Israeli military firms use European subsidiaries to obscure ties and expand, report finds
Agnese Boffano reports in The New Arab on 29 October 2026:
Israeli military and surveillance companies linked to the genocide in Gaza are expanding into Europe through subsidiaries, acquisitions and rebrandings that obscure their origins and human rights records, according to a new report by human rights groups.
The report, entitled “European Gateway for Genocide Technology” finds that European rearmament and fragmented regulation are opening markets for technologies developed and tested against Palestinians.
Published on Thursday by the Observatory for Human Rights and Business in the Mediterranean (ODHE) and Irídia – Centre for the Defence of Human Rights, and coordinated by SUDS and the International Institute for Nonviolent Action (NOVACT), the study identifies nine routes into Europe, including NATO procurement, EU research programmes and cybersecurity hubs such as Barcelona.
The expansion comes amid rapid growth in Israel’s defence-technology industry. Citing the Israeli economic development organisation Startup Nation Central, the report says the sector comprised more than 300 start-ups in 2025, compared with 160 in 2024. Europe accounted for 54 percent of Israel’s defence export contracts in 2024, when their total value reached approximately $14.7 billion.
But overseas expansion also reflects insecurity and difficulties attracting investment within Israel, researchers said. “Many startups and companies are in need of investment,” Felip Daza, a senior researcher at ODHE, told The New Arab. The relocation of technology workers seeking security and companies seeking capital were converging, he said, making Europe “an attracting pole for these companies”.
Europe offers cover for Israeli firms
Establishing European subsidiaries and acquiring local companies can help Israeli firms access contracts and funding while distancing themselves from their human rights records, the report argues.