Hundreds of NGOs protest outside Spain's parliament, calling to cease arms trade with Israel

Protestors backed by more than 375 non-government organizations in Spain gathered outside the nation's parliament on Wednesday, calling for the government to end arms trade with Israel.

According to the Centre Delas think tank, one of the organizations involved in the protest, Spain has purchased €861 million ($944 million) worth of weapons from Israel this year alone. “And that's only the tip of the iceberg,” said the organization, insisting that the country's arms trade is shrouded in secrecy.

For instance, in September, Spain authorized the purchase of SILAM rocket launchers, made by the company Elbit Systems — one of Israel's main defense companies whose products have been tested in operations in Gaza and the West Bank. The deal was worth €576 million, according to the demonstrators.

Likewise, on Oct. 4, the government greenlit 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 military operation in the Gaza Strip, where more than 19,600 Palestinians have been killed besides mass displacement and infrastructure damage.

And while Spain exports a much smaller number of weapons to Israel, 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.”

“What's happening is genocide, there is no other word for it,” protester Maria Fernandez told Anadolu. “Now we are calling for action. The words so far have been good … but just like when [Vladimir] Putin invaded Ukraine, there need to be sanctions, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu should be charged with war crimes, and of course, there must be an end to all arms trade.”

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.