Spain cancels purchase of police ammunition from Israeli firm

Sanchez’s demand came three days after the Spanish premier urged other countries to stop supplying weapons to the Jewish state.

By Reuters and The Algemeiner

Spain‘s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday it was canceling a contract to buy ammunition from an Israeli firm, widening a Spanish pledge not to sell weapons to Israel to include purchases too.

Cadena Ser radio earlier reported that the Guardia Civil police force had agreed to buy more than 15 million 9-mm rounds for six million euros ($6.48 million) from Guardian LTD Israel.

Spain said it would stop arms sales to Israel in October 2023 when Israel’s war with Hamas started in Gaza.

“The Spanish government maintains the commitment not to sell weapons to the Israeli state since the armed conflict broke out in the territory of Gaza,” it said in a statement.

“Although in this case it is an acquisition of ammunition, the Interior Ministry has initiated the administrative procedure to cancel the purchase,” it said.

The ministry said that Israeli companies would also be excluded from any outstanding tenders.

The contract was tendered in February and awarded on Oct. 21, with two of the three lots awarded to an Israeli company, it added.

Spain has been one of the European Union’s harshest critics of Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza and more recently against Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged other EU members to respond to Spain‘s and Ireland’s request to suspend the bloc’s free trade agreement with Israel over its actions.

Sanchez’s demand came three days after the Spanish premier urged other countries to stop supplying weapons to the Jewish state.

Israel began its offensive in Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel, in which 1,200 were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.

That offensive broadened to include Lebanon earlier this month as Israel sought to disable Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been waging a year-long campaign against Israel in support of its ally Hamas.

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 atrocities, Spain launched a diplomatic campaign to curb Israel’s military response.

At the same time, several Spanish ministers in the country’s left-wing coalition government issued pro-Hamas statements and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

More recently, Spanish officials said they would not allow ships carrying arms for Israel to stop at its ports

In May, Spain officially recognized a Palestinian state, claiming the move was accelerated by the Israel-Hamas war and would help foster a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli officials described the decision as a “reward for terrorism.”

Spain, like many other countries around the world, experienced a surge in antisemitic incidents targeting the Jewish community following Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre.