Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Cancels $7.5 Million Arms Deal with Israeli Company – Al Jazeera Reports

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Cancels $7.5 Million Arms Deal with Israeli Company – Al Jazeera Reports

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the Spanish government has canceled a $7.5 million deal to purchase ammunition from an Israeli company. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took this step after members of the government's left-wing coalition opposed the deal.

Last Thursday, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior announced that it had canceled the contract with Israeli company IMI Systems. Under this agreement, Spain was to purchase 15 million rounds of 9mm ammunition for the Civil Guard. A government source told Al Jazeera, “After all avenues of discussion were exhausted, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and the relevant ministries decided that the deal would be canceled.”

The Spanish government had already announced in October 2023, following Israel’s military operations in Gaza, that it would suspend arms exports to Israel. In February 2024, it further pledged to stop purchasing weapons from Israel. However, during the same month, the Ministry of the Interior signed a contract with IMI Systems to buy ammunition. Five ministers from the left-wing coalition protested the deal and demanded its cancellation. Following the protests, the government launched a review. In October 2024, the government accepted the recommendation to cancel the deal and proceeded with the decision.

The Spanish government described the move as being "in the interest of the general public" and stated that it would not engage in any future arms agreements with Israeli companies. However, this decision may increase tensions within the left-wing coalition, especially after Prime Minister Sánchez announced on Tuesday that his government would increase defense spending to 2% of GDP to meet NATO targets—an announcement that created dissatisfaction among left-wing coalition members.

Public opinion in Spain was also divided over the deal. In a poll conducted by the online newspaper 20minutos.es, 48.46% opposed the agreement, 46.94% supported it, and 4.58% were undecided. Igor Otxoa from the Gernika Palestine Solidarity Group said, “This ammunition purchase would have signaled that Spain does not support Palestine. It would have reflected the deaths of over 50,000 people in Gaza.”

Following the controversy, Verónica Martínez Barbero, parliamentary spokesperson for the Sumar party, said, “This deal must be canceled. It would be a betrayal of our commitment, especially as we witness the genocide of Palestinians.”

However, the decision did not receive universal support. Astrid Barrio López, a political analyst at the University of Valencia, commented, “This decision shows that companies making agreements with the Spanish government face legal uncertainty and that there is a lack of leadership within the government.”

By canceling arms deals with Israeli companies, the Spanish government has fulfilled its commitment and reaffirmed its support for Palestine.