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Israel's Strategic Worth to the EU
(Henry Jackson Society-UK) Oren Kessler and Alice Bexson - Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar presented a report on Jan. 30 that argues that Israel is strategically vital for a secure, prosperous and influential Europe. In the security realm, he noted that British, Spanish and troops of other EU states have been protected by Israeli drones in Afghanistan, while Israeli technology protects European icons including the Eiffel Tower, the Vatican and Buckingham Palace. Moreover, Israel has world-class intelligence capabilities, and its intelligence on Middle Eastern rogue states and terrorist groups is crucial to the security of the EU. In the economic realm, Israel is the EU's top commercial partner in the Eastern Mediterranean. Having recently discovered large natural gas fields, Israel offers Europe stability in its energy economy. In the realm of science and technology, 11% of the nearly 300 projects approved by the European Research Council in 2013 went to young Israeli scientists, putting it behind only Germany and the UK. Unfortunately, recent discriminatory measures only serve to confirm Israeli suspicions of European hostility, which could mean that Israelis will become more inclined to do business with the growing economies of the Far East rather than with the EU.