Spain carves out exception to Israel arms ban for Airbus projects

Defense needs override politics as Madrid backtracks on embargo.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The Spanish government last week formally approved a waiver to its arms embargo on Israel, allowing the purchase of Israeli-made defense components and systems for Airbus projects.

The Cabinet made the decision after the government admitted that there is currently no technological alternative to Israeli components, and that stopping supplies from Israel would have caused serious damage to strategic projects, production lines, and thousands of jobs in the Spanish defense industry.

Airbus, Europe’s largest aerospace manufacturer, produces commercial and military aircraft, satellites and defense systems, and accounts for more than half of Spain’s air and defense exports.

The exemption reportedly covers such advanced systems as radars from Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary Elta and defense systems from Elbit, which are integrated into transport, refueling, and UAV aircraft used by the Spanish air force.

The decision marks a partial retreat from a sweeping set of anti-Israel measures announced by Madrid in September, when it imposed a ban on importing Israeli military and dual-use goods.

At the time, Spain canceled an $825 million rocket launcher deal with Israel and launched a broader review aimed at phasing Israeli weapons and technology out of its armed forces.

Spain further prohibited arms and ammunition exports to Israel, though the Foreign Ministry had already stated in February 2024 that no new arms sales had been authorized since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre in Israel triggered the Gaza war.

The legislation barred Spain from serving as a military transit point as well.

Ships carrying fuel for the IDF were denied access to Spanish ports, and military cargo aircraft were banned from Spanish airspace.

The measures also targeted individual Israelis, prohibiting entry to anyone deemed to have “directly participated in genocide, human rights violations and war crimes in the Gaza Strip,” without specifying how such determinations would be made.

“Spain does not have nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers or vast oil reserves,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a national address announcing the policy. “On our own, we cannot stop the Israeli offensive. But that does not mean we will stop trying.”

Sánchez’s left-wing government has been among Europe’s harshest critics of Israel since the war began, accusing Jerusalem of war crimes including genocide and deliberately starving Gaza’s population — allegations Israel has rejected and disputed.

In May 2024, Spain formally recognized “Palestine” as a state, alongside Norway and Ireland, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador from Madrid.

Spain recalled its own ambassador from Israel hours before announcing the embargo.