Spain Still Buys Weapons from Israel Despite Suspension Pledge

(MENAFN) Although Spain's government publicly committed to halting weapons purchases from Israel, the country has reportedly continued to finalize military agreements with Israeli defense firms.

Based on a Thursday article in a Spanish newspaper, 40 military procurement contracts have been signed or formalized since October 2023, defying the government’s stated intentions.

This revelation followed earlier media coverage that Spanish law enforcement acquired EURO6.6 million (approximately USD7.5 million) in ammunition from an Israeli supplier.

This specific transaction was meant to be canceled as part of the suspension pledge, making its continuation particularly controversial.

The purchase has triggered internal discord within Spain’s left-leaning coalition administration.

The smaller partner in the alliance, Sumar, described the deal as a “flagrant breach” of official promises and demanded “immediate rectification” of the transaction.

Nonetheless, the newspaper—referencing an upcoming document from the Delas Center for Peace Studies—highlighted that this bullet purchase is merely a surface-level example of broader activity.

The report claims Spain has agreed to arms sales totaling EURO1.04 billion with Israeli defense contractors since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Significantly, ten of the forty agreements were reportedly signed after October 2024, the same month Spain’s Ministry of Defense announced it was suspending military acquisitions from Israel.

Additionally, nine of these contracts have been granted but are still pending official completion.

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