Pimec clashes with Spanish employers' association Conpymes over a trade mission to Israel

BarcelonaAmidst heightened tensions between the Spanish government and Israel, the employers' association Conpymes, which represents small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will begin a trade mission to Israel this Sunday, in response to an invitation from the Israeli embassy and the Israel Export Institute, as reported by the association itself. The delegation will be headed by Conpymes President José María Torres and will last until the 27th of this month. Pimec, which is part of Conpymes, has distanced itself from this initiative. Sources from the Catalan employers' association maintain that they have their own structures and agendas regarding foreign relations and other activities.

The objective of the Conpymes trip "is to facilitate access for small and medium-sized enterprises to markets in a country as technologically and internationally competitive as Israel." In a recent interview, Torres, who presented the only candidacy for re-election as president of this organization in the elections on December 1st, expressed his opposition to cooling relations with Israel over the invasion of Gaza and even stated that "Spanish companies are against the boycott of Israel and against decisions that generate hatred." During the trip, this employers' association will sign two agreements "with the aim of fostering relations between Spanish SMEs and Israeli companies: the first with the Israeli government, within the framework of a meeting with the Director General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Export Ind, IE, and the second with the [unclear], as reported by the business organization. Employers' Tensions

Conpymes' decision has caused astonishment in some business circles given the tension between the Spanish government and that of Benjamin Netanyahu. Indeed, Pedro Sánchez's government has been one of the most critical of Israel. According to some sources, this step taken by Torres could end up damaging the relationship with Pimec. It so happens that the presentation of Conpymes in 2021, conceived as a counterweight to Cepyme, which is integrated into the larger employers' association CEOE, featured the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister, Begoña Gómez, as its patron. In fact, some circles linked this organization to the coalition government. During the visit, Conpymes will also hold other meetings and make several visits, including to AI21lab and Startup Nation Central. The employers' association emphasizes that Spain and Israel have "a very fluid trade relationship, with economic exchanges worth approximately 2.5 billion euros annually." And, in this regard, this employers' association states that "there are a large number of Spanish companies with a strong presence in Israel, and Conpymes' objective is to facilitate access to this market for small businesses as well." The president of Conpymes recalls that this is the second trade mission his organization has undertaken this year, following a visit to Germany in September, and that it is "a prelude to a visit to China next January." "Conpymes' objective is to help small businesses open markets worldwide by leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit and talent of Spanish SMEs," he asserted.