Spain’s parliament has approved the enshrinement in law of a total arms embargo on Israel, permanently banning the sale of weapons, dual-use technology and military equipment in response to the genocide in Gaza.
Lawmakers voted 178 to 169 on Wednesday to ratify a decree announced in September by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has emerged as one of the most vocal critics on the global stage of Israel’s conduct over the course of the two-year war on Gaza.
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“Israel’s response to the terrible attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, has ended up becoming an indiscriminate attack against the Palestinian population that the majority of experts have called genocide,” the preamble of the law reads.
The measure formalises a ban that has essentially been in place since October 2023. Defence Minister Margarita Robles described the vote as “the final step in a long process” that had been playing out since the war began.
Sanchez announced a decree last month to “consolidate in law” the embargo as part of a series of measures to ratchet up pressure on Israel.
That announcement drew a furious response from Israel, which had already withdrawn its ambassador last year when Spain recognised a Palestinian state.
Wide-reaching embargo
The law bans all exports of defence equipment, products and technology to Israel as well as the import of such goods from the country.
The ban also covers the transit of fuel or material with potential military use, prohibiting ships and aircraft carrying such cargoes from entering Spanish ports and airspace.
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It carves out exceptions for dual-use defence equipment “if the application of the ban harmed general national interests”.
In addition, the law bans the advertising of products “coming from illegal colonies in Gaza and the West Bank”.
Delayed vote
The vote had been initially scheduled for Tuesday but was delayed a day to avoid occurring on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
The Israeli embassy in Spain had criticised the original timing as “cynical and reprehensible”.
Last-minute support from the far-left party Podemos, which holds four seats, helped secure the vote for Sanchez’s leftist minority coalition after the smaller party had criticised the law for not going far enough. Podemos leader Ione Belarra urged the government to sever all ties with Israel.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox voted against the law.
Last month, Sanchez urged international sporting bodies to ban Israel from competitions, saying its treatment should mirror Russia’s exclusion after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The comments drew a furious response from Israel.
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