In a move widely interpreted as political pressure on Israel to halt the genocide in Gaza, the Spanish government has officially canceled a major arms contract with Israeli defense companies Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
This marks the second weapons deal Madrid has terminated with Israel within a month, reflecting growing international isolation of Israeli arms manufacturers and their declining presence in global defense exhibitions.
According to Haaretz, the canceled contract involved the purchase of PULS rocket artillery systems from Elbit, valued at €700 million, originally signed in October 2023.
Haaretz said: Spain’s Ministry of Defense canceled a €700 million contract with Elbit Systems for the purchase of SILAM rocket artillery systems, based on Israel’s PULS platform.
- The deal, signed in October 2023, included co-production with Spanish firms Escribano and Expal, the latter now owned by Rheinmetall.
- The system was to include 12 launchers, radar units, drones, and armored vehicles.
- The cancellation follows mounting political pressure from Spain’s ruling coalition and public protests over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
- A separate €237 million contract for Spike missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems was also canceled.
- Spanish officials confirmed the cancellations via procurement records, though no formal public statement was issued.
- Elbit and Rafael reportedly had not received official notice at the time of publication, and sources expressed disbelief over the strategic loss.
The system, known in Spain as SILAM, was to be co-produced with Spanish firms Escribano and Expal on Spanish soil. Expal was acquired last year by German defense giant Rheinmetall.
The deal included:
– 12 mobile launch platforms
– Radar systems
– Drones
– Armored support and evacuation vehicles
The PULS system is a direct competitor to the U.S.-made HIMARS, which gained prominence in Ukraine.
It can fire various types of rockets, including precision-guided munitions like the AccuLAR-160 (range: 40 km, accuracy: 10 meters) and the long-range “Nitz Dors” missile (range: up to 300 km).
Spain also recently canceled a separate €237 million contract for Spike missiles from Rafael.
These decisions follow public protests in Madrid and mounting pressure from political parties within Spain’s ruling coalition, some of which threatened to withdraw support unless arms deals with Israel were halted.
The Spanish Ministry of Defense confirmed the cancellations through its procurement system but has not issued detailed public statements. Elbit and Rafael have also not commented officially, though a source from one of the companies told Haaretz they had received no formal notice and found it “hard to believe Spain would forgo the strategic value of Israeli defense technology.”
These cancellations are part of a broader shift: Spain has also barred Israeli participation in upcoming international defense and aviation exhibitions and announced new restrictions on the docking and transit of ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel.
The moves come amid Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s announcement of nine new measures aimed at increasing pressure on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza. While Sánchez acknowledged Spain’s reliance on advanced missile systems, he vaguely suggested future purchases would exclude Israeli components.
