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Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-closer-ties-israel-air-defense-space/
EU Pursues Closer Israel Ties on Air Defense and Space
(Politico-EU) Gabriel Gavin - The EU is looking to Israel to support its new push for high-tech air defense and space capabilities. Israel Space Agency boss Shimrit Maman met Tuesday in Brussels with Ekaterina Zaharieva, European commissioner for startups, research and innovation, for talks on key areas like AI and robotics. A string of recent deals has seen the EU pursue closer military and technological relations with Israel. In 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed calls from Poland and Greece to create an EU-funded air defense shield. However, senior officials involved in the discussions told Politico the plans did not move ahead after the Commission and a handful of capitals concluded it would need to rely on Israeli air-defense technology, which they deemed too sensitive a year into the Gaza conflict. Now, though, in a major expansion of its operations in Europe, Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems confirmed Monday that it will open a factory producing its Iron Dome air-defense system in a former Volkswagen factory in Germany.