Spain's arms embargo on Israel hits enemy lines at home

Euractiv

08-07-2025

MADRID – Spain's vow to cut arms ties with Israel faces major hurdles, as deep military dependencies and political realities complicate last year's announced embargo.
"Spain does not buy arms from Israel," Defence Minister Margarita Robles told journalists ahead of an EU foreign ministers' summit in May.
Her comments align with the government's official line from February 2024, when the foreign ministry said it had halted arms exports to Israel following the Hamas attack on 7 October.
However, subsequent statements from officials have introduced confusion, with some doubting whether the suspension may also apply to imports. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a vocal critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian statehood, has also called on countries to halt their arms dealings with Israel.
But Robles drew a key distinction: purchasing weapons is not the same as licensing Israeli military technology – which Spain continues to do.
This nuance lies at the heart of Spain's rocky path toward a full military embargo. Lawmakers now speak of a 'technological disconnection,' acknowledging ongoing reliance on Israeli systems. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has even suggested Madrid may ultimately 'settle' for a partial embargo.
Political pledge meets industrial reality
Despite Spain's public commitment to an embargo, sources within the defence ministry admit a full break would be 'highly difficult', as key parts of the country's military infrastructure still rely on Israeli systems.
Frequently, Spanish firms license Israeli designs to manufacture domestically.
Though a clean break from deeply embedded Israeli technology would seem difficult, the government is reportedly seeking alternatives to existing contracts with Israeli-linked firms. These include Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles, produced under licence by PAP Tecnos, a subsidiary to Israeli company Rafael, and SILAM artillery rocket launchers involving Spanish companies EM&E and Rheinmetall Expal, alongside Israeli firm Elbit Systems.
The data doesn't lie
Beyond technology, official trade data indicates that Spain continues to buy weapons from Israel, contradicting its stated embargo.
According to government data, Spain's imports from Israel under TARIC code 93 (arms and ammunition) reached €7 million in 2024 and €10.2 million in 2025. For 2025, imports worth €6.8 million fell under the 9306901000 subcategory (bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles, and similar munitions of war and parts thereof), and €3.4 million under code 93069010 (war weaponry and ammunition).
Most of these imports are marked as 'strategic projects' by the defence ministry, with details kept confidential under Spanish law. The ministry and the directorate general for armaments and equipment, responsible for the acquisition and management of state armament, did not respond to Euractiv's requests for comment.
Building domestic capability: a long road ahead
Robles told lawmakers the government is reviewing Israeli import licences and plans to cancel those "that do not provide strategic technology to our armed forces". If needed, she said, the ministry could 'exceptionally' source from third countries.
Robles maintains that Spanish manufacturers can handle the transition away from Israeli military technology, saying 'programmes can be done here in Spain.'
But Carlos Martí, defence expert at the Institute General Gutiérrez Mellado, said many of the government's changes have been superficial and predicted that trade ties with Israel will 'most likely stay largely the same."
He warned that rebuilding industrial capacity, including new supply chains, specialised equipment and engineering talent, would be extremely difficult in the short term.
"We are talking about years-long manufacturing processes," he said.
Spain's top defence firm, Indra, currently lacks both the technology and the Israeli-made components needed to replace existing systems, Martí explained, adding that cost and time savings are key reasons for Spain's dependence on Israeli materials.
"The government's narrative that we cut ties with Israel and therefore developed this technology ourselves is a lie," he added.
According to Martí, Spain could either source Israeli parts indirectly through countries like Italy or Turkey, or continue manufacturing domestically under the "technological disconnection" narrative and manufacture locally and continue to covertly acquire Israeli licences.
Though deep industrial ties and economic interests complicate Madrid's path toward disengagement from Israel's defence sector, the mask is beginning to slip: Sánchez now faces mounting pressure – from within his coalition, from Congress, which recently backed a non-binding motion calling for a halt on exports and imports, and amid domestic corruption scandals – to back rhetoric with action and enforce a full embargo.
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