"Need Peace": Spain Refused to Allow Indian Ship Carrying Explosives For Israel

• By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Madrid
• May 18, 2024
• 116

Spain has refused to allow a ship carrying explosives from India to Israel to stop at its port. This Danish flagged ship was going from Chennai to Haifa Port in Israel.

According to news agency AFP, Spain's Foreign Minister Josh Manuel Albarez has confirmed this. Foreign Minister Albarez told journalists in Brussels on Thursday that he had received information that a ship carrying a consignment of weapons wanted to dock in a Spanish port. Who was not allowed to stay.

Albarez said, 'The Middle East does not need more weapons. There is a need for peace there. He refused to give more information about the ship.

According to the Spanish newspaper 'El Pais', there are about 27 tons of explosives on this ship. It is going from Chennai Port to Haifa Port in Israel. 

However, when India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about this, he did not give any clear answer.

Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente has also revealed many things related to the ship. He said that a ship named 'Marian Danica' had sought permission to stop at Catajina Port in the south-east of Spain on May 21.

A controversy going on in Spain over the berthing of ships laden with weapons. Yesterday also a ship had stopped at Catania Port in Spain. Its name is 'Borkum'. The far left 'Summer Party', an ally of the ruling Socialist Party in Spain, had objected to this.

Samar Party had alleged that the ship was going to Israel with weapons. These will be used for attacks in Gaza. 

However, Spain's Transport Minister Puente denied this and said that there is definitely military material on the Borkum ship but it does not belong to Israel, but to the Czech Republic.

Spain has been the most vocal critic of Israel regarding the Gaza attack. 

According to AFP, on Friday, Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez said that he is considering recognizing Palestine. For this they are trying to reach a consensus with other countries.

Earlier, PM Sanchez had said in March that Spain, along with Ireland, Slovenia and Malta, would soon recognize the Palestinian state. Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin said last Tuesday that Dublin would recognize Palestine at any cost by the end of this month. However, he did not give any specific date.

India and Israel have a very old defense relationship. Israel had helped India in the wars with Pakistan and China. This was the period when India was in dire need of weapons. According to the report of media house Haaretz, India is at the top among the countries purchasing Israeli weapons. India's share in Israel's total defense exports between 2019-2023 was 37%.

During the war, India also helped Israel in providing weapons. A report in 'The Wire' has claimed that a deal has been signed between Adani Defense and Aerospace and Israel's Elbit Systems.

Under this, more than 20 Hermes 900 UAVs/drones have been manufactured in India and sent to Israel. Apart from this, many parts of war planes have also been given to Israel. 

Government-owned Munitions India Limited has e
xported munitions to Israel in January 2024.

After independence, Russia became India's largest arms supplier. However, with the end of the Cold War in the nineties, India tried to diversify its arms purchases.

After Russia, now countries like America, Britain and France have also become important defense partners of India. 

After the formation of Modi government, defense relations between Israel and India have strengthened significantly.