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Spain's parliament voted Wednesday to formally establish an arms embargo against Israel in law, backing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's effort to halt what he has characterized as genocide in Gaza.
The measure passed 178-169, solidifying restrictions that Sanchez's government says have been in practice since the war began following Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The vote grants legal permanence to policies the administration claims were already being enforced.
The backing of Podemos, a far-left party holding four parliamentary seats, proved crucial to the leftist minority coalition's victory. The party had previously criticized the decree, and speculation about how its lawmakers would vote dominated political discussions in recent days.
Sanchez, among the most vocal critics of Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian territory, announced the decree in September as part of a broader series of measures targeting Israel's offensive, which has now entered its third year.
The legislation prohibits all exports of defense equipment, products or technology to Israel, as well as imports of such goods from the country. It also bars the transit of aviation fuel that could have military applications.
Additionally, the law forbids advertising products "coming from illegal colonies in Gaza and the West Bank." The text includes a provision allowing the government to grant exceptions for dual-use defense equipment "if the application of the ban harmed general national interests."
The decree's September announcement drew sharp condemnation from Israel, which had already withdrawn its ambassador to Madrid in 2024 after Spain recognized a Palestinian state.
The parliamentary vote was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed by one day, with Spanish media reporting the delay was meant to avoid coinciding with the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack. Israel's embassy in Spain criticized the initial timing in a letter released late Monday, calling it "a cynical and reprehensible decision."
The law's preamble states that "Israel's response to the terrible attacks committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 has ended up becoming an indiscriminate attack against the Palestinian population that the majority of experts have called genocide."
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