The Spanish government uses the exception to the arms embargo on Israel and authorizes a transfer of them

BarcelonaThe Spanish government approved it three months ago. the decree for the arms embargo on IsraelThe decree, which affects all defense and security equipment, including dual-use goods—those that can be used in both military and civilian contexts—prohibited the export and import of weapons originating from or destined for Israel. However, the decree included exceptions to this embargo: the prohibition could be lifted for reasons of "national interest." It is precisely this exception that the Spanish government has used this week to authorize the transfer of Israeli-made defense and dual-use equipment to Airbus, as has been reported. Eldiario.es and has checked the NOW.

The decision was made following a "favorable" report from the Interministerial Board for the Regulation of Foreign Trade in Defense and Dual-Use Material (JIMDDU), which is secret and classified. Specifically, the transfer is for four Airbus projects—A400M, A330 MRTT, C295, and Sirtap—a company the Spanish government presents as "strategic in the aerospace sector"—the State holds a 4% stake. In the Council of Ministers agreement, the Spanish government asserts that these four projects are "essential for the economic viability of the production lines" and also for "preserving thousands of highly skilled jobs in Spain." The Spanish government justifies the purchase of this equipment from Israel by stating that there were no "immediate alternatives to reliably replace certain essential technological components," and that the continuity of Airbus projects would be "highly jeopardized." According to the state executive, this would entail "an industrial, economic, employment, and technological impact of such magnitude that it would affect strategic autonomy and general national interests." However, the decision made by the Council of Ministers met with reservations from the Sumar ministers, as confirmed to the EFE news agency by sources close to the Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz. They considered that there were insufficient grounds to apply the exceptions contemplated in the decree, based on the detriment of general national interests. Criticism from pro-Palestinian entities

Several pro-Palestinian organizations have also complained about the Spanish government's decision. The campaign Significant arms trade with IsraelThe Palestinian Solidarity Network Against Employment (RESCOP), which includes other organizations, lamented that the state executive "has once again demonstrated that when faced with a choice between the economy and human rights, it prioritizes commercial interests over the lives of Palestinians." In a statement, they also criticized what they consider the "fundamental problem" of the arms embargo decree: "It is not a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel. Every exception clause is a loophole through which complicity seeps." In this regard, they called on parliamentary groups to address this issue in Congress.