Catalan interior ministry confirms five contracts with Israeli arms company

The Catalan interior ministry has confirmed that over the last five years it signed five minor contracts with Guardian Homeland Security S.A., a company specializing in arms and security that serves as the official representative in Spain for major Israeli manufacturers of military and police equipment.

The information was first reported by RAC1, a leading Catalan radio station, and appeared in a parliamentary reply from Interior Minister Núria Parlon to a question from left-wing parties CUP and Comuns, obtained by the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

The contracts, beginning in 2020, include purchases of police training equipment such as hearing protection with integrated communication systems, materials for operational simulation training, and specialized equipment for police firearms practice.

In her response, Parlon noted that the most recent purchase took place under the previous government, in February 2024, when Joan Ignasi Elena of pro-independence Esquerra Republicana was interior minister. This occurred four months after Israel began its military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Controversy

The controversy surrounding Guardian Homeland Security is not new. It is the same company involved in a recent high-profile case where the Spanish government canceled a multi-million euro contract to supply ammunition to Spain's Guardia Civil.

Guardian Homeland Security's website describes it as the official representative in Spain of Israel's leading manufacturers of military and police equipment.

On social media, the company frequently shares videos highlighting the Israeli military's capabilities, including drone strikes and military operations, such as a May 2023 video showing an attack in Gaza.

These revelations caused concern among the parties that raised the question. Both CUP and Comuns have repeatedly condemned any institutional ties to companies connected with the Israeli military industry.