Hundreds of Spanish judges demand Madrid cut ties with Israel and sanction Netanyahu
Spanish jurists
The New Arab reports on 18 December 2024:
A group of Spanish legal professionals has called on the government to break diplomatic ties with Israel and impose sanctions against Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes.
Under the non-governmental organisation Jurists for Palestine, judges, prosecutors, and lawyers handed a petition with more than 1,200 signatures to parliament calling for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to issue sanctions and a total arms embargo.
Speaking outside the Spanish Congress in Madrid on Tuesday, spokesperson Judge Pilar Barrado said Israel’s genocide in Gaza and violations of international law had reached an intolerable level. “Human rights are universal,” she told reporters. “We cannot accept a world where some are allowed to massacre others with impunity.”
‘We don’t want to be complicit in genocide’
Judge Barrado called on Sanchez to respect Article 93 of the Spanish Constitution, which mandates compliance with international treaties and resolutions.
The jurists urged the Spanish Congress to adopt measures aligned with UN resolutions and enforce the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
In a manifesto presented to party members, jurists demanded the government to end trade agreements perpetuating Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, impose political and economic sanctions, and enforce an arms embargo. The group also urged to scrap diplomatic relations while the genocide continues in Gaza, with over 45,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023.