Sánchez takes the reins and cancels the purchase of Israeli ammunition to reassure Sumar

Eduardo González The Government decided this Thursday to unilaterally terminate the contract for the purchase of ammunition from an Israeli company, which nearly caused a serious schism in the coalition government, following an agreement between the Presidency and the Ministries involved in the operation. According to sources from Moncloa who spoke to the Efe news agency, the Presidency of the Government, the Second Vice-Presidency (held by Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz), and the relevant Ministries have decided to terminate the contract with the Israeli company IMI Systems, formalized last Friday, after having exhausted "all negotiating avenues." The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez himself—according to sources from Moncloa who spoke to La Sexta—has personally become involved in this controversy and, in recent hours, has given instructions to find a solution to the problem, according to the same sources. Consequently, the Dual-Use Material Investment Board will deny the Israeli company permission to import the material for reasons of public interest, and the Ministry of the Interior will proceed to terminate the contract. Separately, the State Attorney's Office and the relevant ministries are already studying possible legal reactions and claims. The conflict The controversy erupted this Wednesday after it was revealed that the Civil Guard's Economic Affairs Headquarters had decided to fulfill a contract worth more than six million euros for the purchase of fifteen million rounds of ammunition from the Israeli company Guardian Defense & Homeland Security S.A., a subsidiary of the international group Guardian LTD Israel. On October 29, the Ministry of the Interior decided to terminate the contract with the Israeli company and even stated, in a statement, that "the Spanish Government remains committed to not buying or selling weapons to the Israeli State since the outbreak of the armed conflict in the territory of Gaza." These statements were later confirmed by the spokesperson, Pilar Alegría. However, according to the same sources, the Ministry of the Interior launched a study around the same time regarding the possible termination of the contract. Ultimately, the Ministry decided to heed a recommendation from the State Attorney's Office advising against termination because the State would have been forced to pay the full €6.6 million without receiving the contracted material. The contract was finalized in the middle of Holy Week, specifically on April 16. After learning of the news, Sumar issued a statement on Wednesday expressing its total opposition to the operation, which represents "a flagrant violation of the commitments made within the Government to suspend arms purchases from Israel, as well as international arms trade treaties." It also demanded "the immediate cancellation of the contract" and "the appearance of the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, before Congress to provide "all the necessary explanations regarding this acquisition." For its part, Izquierda Unida, part of Sumar, indirectly demanded the resignation of Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Defense Minister Margarita Robles, and urged Sumar to consider the possible withdrawal from the coalition government. Sumar and IU celebrate, Feijóo condemns “We have achieved this after firmly demanding it: for consistency, for justice, for Palestine,” Sumar wrote on social media after the government's decision to terminate the contract. “We cannot trade with those who violate international law while massacring the Palestinian people,” he added. For her part, Yolanda Díaz suffered the termination of the “contract of shame.” “Spain cannot buy or sell weapons to Israeli companies. Our commitment to human rights is unwavering,” she wrote on social media. Izquierda Unida also celebrated the cancellation of the contract in a statement, which “could have been terminated, and it has been.” “We congratulate ourselves, and we congratulate all those people of conscience who have mobilized in solidarity with Palestine,” the party wrote in a statement. "Our response to preventing this outrage has been fundamental, but this isn't over: today we learned that there are nine other contracts pending signature and execution with Israel. We will continue to maintain strict surveillance to prevent any collaboration with Zionism, in the institutions and on the streets," he warned. In a very different vein, the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, harshly criticized the unilateral termination of the contract with IMI Systems. "When a state signs a contract with another state, it must be honored, especially if we're talking about two democratic states like Spain and Israel," he told the media. According to the opposition leader, canceling a contract "due to a personal problem of the president of the government and the political instability that such a contract generates is typical of a country from other latitudes than the countries of the European Union."

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