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The Spanish government is preparing to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, according to a report in El Pais.
The measure, expected this week, would ban all direct and indirect deals involving weapons or military technology with Israeli public or private bodies.
The move escalates Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s campaign against Israel, which intensified after Hamas’s October 7th massacre. Spain first pledged to halt arms sales to Israel, then expanded that pledge to cover purchases. Several high-profile contracts with Israeli companies have since been canceled.
The embargo is based on legislation proposed by the far-left Sumar alliance, a junior partner in the ruling coalition. Its founder, Yolanda Diaz, has pressed for a total rupture in trade with Israel and vowed to “sever relations with the criminal Netanyahu regime.”
Push to Expel Israeli Leaders
Diaz also demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir be declared personae non grata. She accused them of “incitement to genocide, forced starvation and ethnic cleansing,” echoing Hamas propaganda and attempting to criminalize Israel’s self-defense.
Diaz further urged Spanish ports to deny entry to ships carrying arms bound for Israel.
Sanchez himself has stoked tensions. Last month, he branded Israel a “genocidal state” in parliament. His foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said Spain would push the European Union to suspend its cooperation agreement with Israel and to adopt an EU-wide arms embargo.
Palestinian Statehood Recognition
The planned embargo follows Spain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood in May 2024, coordinated with Ireland and Norway. That unilateral decision outraged Israel and deepened the rift with Jerusalem.
Israeli Team Targeted in Spain
The anti-Israel climate has also reached Spanish sports. At the Vuelta a Espana cycling race, Israeli team Israel–Premier Tech faced repeated demonstrations. Organizers pressed the team to withdraw, citing safety concerns. The team refused.
Instead, the squad — owned by Israeli-Canadian businessman Sylvan Adams — altered its kit. The riders removed the team’s name but kept the logo.
“In the interest of prioritizing the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at the Vuelta, Israel–Premier Tech has issued riders with team monogram-branded kit for the remainder of the race,” the team said on social media.
In the interest of prioritizing the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, in light of the dangerous nature of some protests at @lavuelta, Israel – Premier Tech has issued riders with team monogram-branded kit for the remainder of the race. The team name remains Israel –… pic.twitter.com/Dfw6FXegpM
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) September 6, 2025
It emphasized that the team’s identity remained unchanged: “The team name remains Israel–Premier Tech.”
