Spanish artists, academics call on their gov’t to halt arms trade with Israel

More than 300 artists and academics in Spain called Tuesday on their government to halt arms and military equipment trade with Israel, according to the Turkish official news agency Anadolu Agency. 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.” Among the notables are directors Pedro Almodovar and Isabel Coixet, musicians Rozalen and Mikel Izar, actors Aitana Sanchez Gijon and Alba Flores, and comedian Andreu Buenafuente. "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. Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez called on European Union leaders to halt arms exports to Israel and formally recognize the state of Palestine. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA