Spanish artists urge Madrid to halt arms deal with Israel amid Gaza war

In an open letter to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the signatories, who include key figures from Spain’s cinema, music, and television industries, as well as academic circles, “urged the government to completely suspend all kinds of trade in arms and military equipment with Israel, and “expressed deep concern about Spain’s ongoing military relations with Israel.”

"As long as Spain maintains military relations with Israel, it will continue to be complicit in this massacre," the letter read, calling for "urgent measures to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.”

The signatories condemned "the massacres carried out by Israel daily for months," demanding that Spain's government, which they said identifies itself as progressive and a staunch defender of human rights, must take bolder steps to support the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

They emphasized that Spain has a moral and legal obligation to halt the supply of arms, ammunition, and military fuel that have been contributing to the conflict, sustaining the occupation of Palestine, and causing civilian casualties.

"Spain must view the cessation of military material and fuel transfers as both a moral obligation and a duty under international law," they argued.

The call by Spanish artists and academicians comes more than a year after the Israeli regime unleashed its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip killing more than 42,600 civilians in Gaza injuring nearly 100,000 others.