AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Protestors supported by 375 NGOs in Spain gathered outside the parliament to condemn Israel's genocide in Gaza and urged the government to end arms trade with Israel.
In September, Spain authorized the purchase of SILAM rocket launchers, made by one of Israel’s main defense companies Elbit Systems.
Elbit Systems weapons and ammunition used in war on Gaza and West Bank. The deal was worth €576 million, according to the demonstrators.
On October 4th, the Spanish government authorized a contract to buy 1,680 anti-tank missiles for €285 million. While made in Spain, the rockets are made by a Spanish subsidiary of the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
This money, the protesters say, is being used to finance the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, where close to 20,000 Palestinians have been killed besides mass displacement and infrastructure damage.
Spanish law establishes that weapons should not be sold to countries that could employ them to “exacerbate tensions” or “use them in a way that goes against the inherent respect and dignity of human beings.”
According to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, Wednesday’s protests were backed by five political parties, including the junior coalition party Sumar.
Inside the parliament, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Europe needs to speak up on the Israeli siege of Gaza due to the level of human suffering.
But Sanchez did not address the growing calls to cease arms trade with Israel.
In recent days, hundreds of important cultural figures also signed a petition urging the same measure.
During Wednesday’s parliamentary debate, the five members of the Podemos party wore shirts from the protest, calling to end the arms trade.
Podemos leader Ione Belarra called on Sanchez to call the attacks on Gaza a genocide and embargo all arms trade.
Without responding to those calls directly, Sanchez again committed to one major action -recognizing the state of Palestine during this government’s current term.
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