Spanish deputies approved this Wednesday a decree-law that establishes an arms embargo to and from Israel, a measure defended by the president of the socialist government, Pedro Sánchez, to “stop the genocide” in Gaza.
The text was adopted by 178 votes in favor and 169 against, after the minority government of Pedro Sánchez finally received the support of the four elected officials of the far-left Podemos party, who had left doubts about their vote until Wednesday morning.
“This government has proposed an embargo on Mr. Netanyahu’s government to stop the genocide in Gaza, and you are going to vote against it,” Pedro Sánchez said Wednesday morning during a follow-up session in Parliament to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party (PP, conservative right), which opposed the measure.
An embargo already applied since 2023
This embargo, in fact applied by Spain since October 2023 according to Pedro Sánchez, was announced by the President of the Government on September 8, as part of a series of measures aimed at “ending the genocide in Gaza.” These announcements provoked a strong reaction from the Israeli government, which had already recalled its ambassador in 2024, when Spain recognized the State of Palestine.
“Israel’s response to the terrible attacks carried out by the Hamas terrorist group on October 7, 2023 ended up becoming an indiscriminate attack against the Palestinian population (which) most experts described as genocide,” is written in the preamble of the text adopted on Wednesday.
With “urgent measures (…) in support of the Palestinian population”, this decree-law prohibits all exports of defense equipment, products or technologies used in this field to Israel, as well as their import into Spain. It also blocks requests for the transit of aviation fuel with possible military applications and prohibits the advertising of products “from illegal settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“The Council of Ministers may, exceptionally, authorize transfers of defense equipment, other materials and dual-use products and technologies (…) if the application of the planned prohibition harms general national interests,” however, the text provides.
The Israeli embassy denounces a “cynical and reprehensible decision”
Spain is one of the most vehement voices in Europe regarding Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks committed by Hamas. The text approved on Wednesday was initially due to be presented to deputies on Tuesday, but the vote was finally postponed until Wednesday so as not to coincide with the anniversary of the Hamas attacks, according to Spanish press reports.
“The choice by the Spanish Government of the date of October 7 to vote on the decree-law relating to the arms embargo against Israel is a cynical and reprehensible decision,” lamented the Israeli embassy in Madrid in a press release on Monday afternoon.
Source: BFM TV
