A growing divide inside Europe is becoming increasingly clear: the countries leading political pressure against Israel are often not the ones relying on its defense systems—while those facing real security threats are deepening their military ties with Jerusalem.
In recent years, nations such as Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and Slovenia have taken the lead in pushing diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel, including calls to suspend agreements and impose sanctions. Yet these same countries maintain minimal reliance on Israeli military technology.
At the same time, a very different reality is unfolding across Central and Eastern Europe. Germany has signed multi-billion-dollar deals for Israel’s Arrow-3 missile defense system, making it the backbone of Europe’s future air defense. Romania has moved forward with major purchases of Israeli air defense systems, while Poland and the Baltic states continue to invest heavily in Israeli anti-tank missiles, drones, and surveillance systems.
Between these two blocs sit countries like Italy and the Netherlands, which balance political criticism with ongoing defense cooperation and procurement.
