SPAIN CANCELS €6.6M BULLET DEAL WITH ISRAELI FIRM AMID COALITION BACKLASH

Thu 24 April 2025:

Spain has canceled a €6.6m deal to purchase millions of bullets from an Israeli firm after junior coalition partners labeled it a “clear violation” of the agreement supporting Spain’s efforts to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza conflict, has questioned its adherence to international humanitarian law and described Palestinian casualties as “unacceptable.” Spain’s stance includes recognizing a Palestinian state last year and halting arms trade with Israel since the Gaza conflict began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Despite this, the interior ministry initially pushed to proceed with the 15.3m 9mm ammunition order from IMI Systems, citing the deal’s advanced stage and the Guardia Civil’s need for the bullets. This sparked outrage from the leftwing Sumar platform, led by Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz, who demanded the contract’s immediate cancellation, with some members accusing the government of supporting a “genocidal state.” Israel denies genocide allegations, which are under review by the International Court of Justice following South Africa’s case.

“The parties that make up the progressive coalition government are firmly committed to the Palestinian cause and to peace in the Middle East,” government sources said. “That is why Spain will neither buy arms from, nor sell arms to, Israeli companies.”

The deal further strained ties between Sánchez’s socialists and Sumar, already at odds over Sánchez’s €10.5bn plan to meet NATO’s 2% GDP defense spending target, which Sumar called “incoherent” and excessive. On Thursday, Sánchez and Díaz’s offices confirmed the contract’s unilateral cancellation, denying an import license for the ammunition. The government, exhausted of negotiation options, is seeking legal advice.

Government sources reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to the Palestinian cause and Middle East peace, stating Spain will neither buy nor sell arms to Israeli companies. Any pre-October 7, 2023, arms orders from Israel will also be halted.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22