Methodology in full
What “open-source intelligence” means here
EILI uses only information anyone can access: official statistics, official documents and recognised research. It does not use leaked, classified or paywalled material, and it does not infer undisclosed cooperation.
Source hierarchy
1. Primary sources: EU institutions (Eurostat, European Commission, CORDIS, EEAS, Council, Parliament), Israeli government bodies (Central Bureau of Statistics, ministries, Bank of Israel, Israel Innovation Authority), national statistical offices, ministries and central banks of European countries, and intergovernmental bodies (OECD, UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO). 2. Recognised secondary sources (peer-reviewed research, universities, established research institutes), used only when no adequate primary source exists and always attributed. Media reports are used only to identify developments, which are then checked against primary documents. EILI does not use Wikipedia, unsourced aggregators or social-media claims as evidence.
Validation
Automated adapters retrieve data from official APIs or structured datasets and store, with every figure, its source organisation, dataset, reference period, unit and retrieval date; a figure is only displayed with that record attached (click any figure to see it). Missing values are never read as zero. Important figures are cross-checked against a second authoritative source where practical (for example Eurostat against Israel’s CBS or UN Comtrade). Conflicting figures are not averaged: EILI selects the source whose definition fits the indicator and records the alternative.
Reference period vs. retrieval date
“Reference period” is the period a statistic describes (e.g. calendar year 2025). “Retrieved” is when EILI last read it from the source. A figure retrieved today can describe last year; EILI never labels a figure “latest” just because it was retrieved recently.
Update process
Sources are checked on a schedule (daily or weekly depending on the source), but a figure only changes when the source publishes a new observation — typically monthly or annually for trade, annually for investment, and with each CORDIS data release for research. If a check fails, the last verified observation is kept, with its original reference period, and flagged internally; it is never replaced by zero or an estimate.
Currencies
Each figure is shown in the currency of its source: EU member states in euro (Eurostat); other countries in their national currency when reported by their national statistical office; OECD investment data in US dollars. EILI does not add figures in different currencies together. Where a conversion is ever shown, the original value, the rate, its source (ECB reference rates) and its period are stated.
Missing and provisional data
Where no reliable public figure exists, EILI says so. Provisional statistics are shown as published and replaced when the source revises them. Composite “relationship scores” are not published: EILI shows measurable indicators only.
Known limitations
Trade figures reported by different countries follow different national methodologies (e.g. CIF/FOB valuation, general vs. special trade) and are not directly comparable across currencies. Horizon Europe counts overlap across countries. The direction of OECD investment positions is still being recorded. Diplomatic and security entries are documented country by country and are not yet complete.
