Legal experts in Spain call for arms embargo on Israel

MADRID

A group of legal experts in Spain called on the government Tuesday to impose an arms embargo on Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip.

Jurists for Palestine, a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising Spanish judges, prosecutors and lawyers submitted a petition with more than 1,200 signatures to parliament calling for sanctions, including an arms embargo.

Speaking outside parliament, Pilar Barrado, a judge and spokesperson for the NGO, said Israel's genocide in Gaza and violations of international law have reached an intolerable level.

“Human rights are universal. There can’t be a world of masters and slaves who are allowed to be massacred,” Barrado said.

He noted that according to Article 93 of the Spanish Constitution, the government and parliament are responsible for guaranteeing compliance with international treaties and their resolutions.

“We demand that the government and all parliamentary groups comply with these resolutions. It is essential to adopt measures such as the (International Criminal Court’s) arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant,” he said.

"We (also) demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza."

Representatives of the Sumar alliance, the junior partner of the minority left coalition government in Spain, as well as the Podemos party and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) also supported the initiative.

Separately, the El Diario newspaper reported that Spain allowed a US ship carrying weapons to Israel to stop at the port of Rota.

The report was denied by government spokesperson Pilar Alegria, however.

Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.