Jerusalem/Madrid, Apr 24 (EFE).- Israel “strongly condemns” the Spanish government’s decision to unilaterally rescind a contract to purchase ammunition from the Israeli company IMI Systems, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman told EFE on Thursday.
The spokesman added that Israel considers the decision “sacrifices security considerations for political reasons.”
The Foreign Ministry said that the Spanish government “continues on the wrong side of history” and positions itself “against Israel, which is defending itself against terrorist attacks on seven fronts.”
The spokesman stressed that it is a unilateral breach of contract, criticizing the Spanish government’s announcement that it will refrain from future defense agreements with Israeli companies.
The Spanish Government decided to terminate a contract with IMI Systems to purchase ammunition and denied it permission to import this material “for reasons of general interest.”
Government sources explained that “after having exhausted all negotiation channels,” the Presidency, the Second Vice-Presidency, and the competent ministries decided to rescind the controversial contract, which had opened a crisis between of the government coalition, the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Sumar.
The Ministry of the Interior explained that, although months ago it had stated that it was going to terminate the contract, it had decided to maintain it because canceling it would entail “paying the price to the company without receiving the contracted material,” which was “necessary.”
The contract, whose formalization was published Thursday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), involved the acquisition of 6.6 million euros of 15.3 million 9 x 19 millimeters Parabellum Nato cartridges for the Civil Guard.
Following the cancellation, the Spanish Government insisted that the coalition parties are “firmly committed to the Palestinian cause and to peace in the Middle East” and that, for this reason, since October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attacks in Israel, Spain neither buys nor sells arms to Israeli companies.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, criticized the government’s decision, stating that contracts between “two democratic states” must be fulfilled.
Feijóo questioned, “Who is going to pay for the termination of this contract.” EFE
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