Spain halts controversial $7.5m deal to purchase ammunition from Israeli firm – INA NEWS

Madrid, Spain – Spain’s authorities halted a controversial $7.5m deal to purchase ammunition from Israel on Thursday, following criticism of it from far-left allies throughout the governing minority coalition.

The nation’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, intervened to cancel the deal after Sumar, a gaggle of left-wing events, threatened to drag out of the governing coalition.

“After exhausting all routes for negotiation, the prime minister, deputy prime minister and ministries concerned have determined to rescind this contract with the Israeli firm IMI Programs,” a authorities supply, who didn’t need to be named in line with Spanish authorities follow, advised Al Jazeera on Thursday.

Spain has been essential of Israel’s struggle on Gaza, and in October 2023, pledged to cease promoting weapons to Israel. In February 2024, it stated it additionally wouldn’t purchase weapons from Israel. Nonetheless, in the identical month, the Spanish Ministry of Inside signed a take care of IMI Options to buy 15 million rounds of ammunition. The ammunition was destined for the Civil Guard, Spain’s semi-military police pressure.

Nonetheless, after protests from 5 ministers from Sumar, the Spanish authorities started a research to find out whether or not it was possible to cancel the order.

“In October 2024, a research was began into the potential ending of the contract. After the research, the ministry determined to observe the advice from the state legal professional, who suggested towards the ending of the contract at that stage, so the contract was honoured,” a spokesperson for the Spanish Inside Ministry advised Al Jazeera, including that ending “the contract would have concerned paying … [IMI Solutions] with out receiving the fabric.”

On Wednesday, April 23, the Inside Ministry stated it could go forward with the arms deal, six months after in search of to cancelling it, to keep away from paying compensation to the Israeli firm.

In response, Yolanda Díaz, deputy prime minister and chief of Sumar, advised reporters in Barcelona, “This deal should be rectified. I insist, it’s a flagrant violation of the agreements once we are witnessing the stay genocide of the Palestinian folks.”

Analysts stated the row might additional injury already tense relations between the Socialists and Sumar in Spain’s fragile authorities, particularly after Sanchez introduced on Tuesday that his authorities would increase defence spending to 2 % of gross home product (GDP) to hit NATO targets, a transfer which angered Sumar. Underneath stress from US President Donald Trump, Spain, which has the bottom NATO finances amongst its 32 members, rolled out a ten.5-billion-euro ($12bn) plan to satisfy the 2-percent objective this yr.

Spaniards had been divided over the ammunition deal, with a ballot for on-line newspaper 20minutos.es exhibiting that 48.46 % of the 7,871 folks surveyed opposed it, whereas 46.94 % backed the deal and 4.58 % didn’t know the way they felt.

“Shopping for this ammunition would have proven that Spain isn’t supporting Palestine. It will have been a betrayal of the [more than] 50,000 individuals who have died in Gaza within the genocide there,” Igor Otxoa, of the Guernica Palestine organisation, a civic organisation, advised Al Jazeera.

Within the wake of the dispute, Veronica Martinez Barbero, Sumar’s parliamentary spokesperson, advised Al Jazeera Spain shouldn’t go forward with the contract.

“There’s a query of not finishing guarantees. The defence minister stated Spain wouldn’t purchase these weapons. We wish this to be rectified, and this contract not be accomplished,” she stated.

However not all people has supported the choice to cancel the contract. Astrid Barrio Lopez, a political analyst on the College of Valencia, advised Al Jazeera the choice “reveals that there’s little judicial safety for corporations coping with the Spanish authorities and little management throughout the authorities”.

The Israeli embassy in Madrid couldn’t be reached for remark.