Despite Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s claims of cutting military ties with Israel, Spain has increased its imports of Israeli weapons, revealing the government’s duplicity and the emptiness of its anti-Israel posturing. In 2025 alone, Spain imported over €10 million worth of Israeli military equipment—up from €7 million the previous year—according to official figures.
In February 2024, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it was halting arms exports to Israel. Since then, the government’s message has shifted between harsh criticism of Israel and vague, inconsistent explanations of its own policy. While Pedro Sánchez presents himself as one of the staunchest supporters of a Palestinian state and calls on other countries to sever ties with Israel, Defence Minister Margarita Robles has admitted that Spain continues to license Israeli military technology.
Far from an absolute embargo, what is now being proposed is a “technological disconnection,” in the words of senior officials from the Ministry of Defence. These euphemistic words are designed to satisfy political pressure at home without bearing the real cost of breaking ties with a defense industry that is deeply reliant on Israeli technology and components. Spike LR2 missiles are produced under license from the Israeli firm Rafael, and SILAM rocket launchers involve another Israeli company, Elbit Systems. The list of critical military links is both extensive and important.
According to official figures, in 2024, Spain imported Israeli weaponry worth €7 million, which rose to €10.2 million in 2025. Many of these contracts are classified as “strategic projects,” allowing the government to keep them confidential under official secrecy laws. Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Directorate General for Armaments has provided a clear explanation. On the other hand, Israel has no interest in clarifying the matter either.
Sánchez’s rhetoric has hardened as pressure grows from within his coalition and amid rising political scandals. The government is under strain from multiple fronts, including corruption scandals, conflicts with separatist allies, and declining public support after years in power—prompting the prime minister to adopt new ideological causes to rally his base.
The Palestinian cause, framed as a struggle for “international justice,” serves to rally support from the radical Left and to present Spain as Europe’s supposed “moral conscience.” In reality, it is a smokescreen to evade domestic responsibilities.
