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(TJV) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced sweeping sanctions against Israel, including an arms embargo, import bans, and travel restrictions — a move that has triggered a furious diplomatic rupture between Madrid and Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported.
In a nationally televised address, Sánchez said his government’s measures were designed to “stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators, and support the Palestinian population.” According to The Times of Israel, Spain will bar all defense trade with Israel, block the passage of Israel-bound ships and planes carrying weapons through its ports and airspace, and prohibit the import of products from West Bank settlements.
The announcement immediately provoked an angry response from Israeli officials. As The Times of Israel noted, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Madrid of promoting antisemitic policies and declared sanctions on two senior members of Spain’s cabinet. “The government of Spain is leading a hostile, anti-Israel line, marked by wild, hate-filled rhetoric,” Sa’ar charged, adding that Sánchez was using the Gaza war to distract from “grave corruption scandals” at home.
Shortly afterward, Spain recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, escalating the row. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the decision was made in response to “slanderous accusations against Spain and the unacceptable measures against two members of our government,” according to The Times of Israel.
The episode marks the lowest point yet in relations between Spain and Israel. As The Times of Israel reported, ties have steadily soured since Sánchez’s left-wing coalition recognized a Palestinian state last year — a move that placed Madrid far ahead of its European peers and drew Israel’s ire. Sánchez has since become the most senior European leader to openly call Israel’s Gaza campaign a “genocide.”
Meanwhile, Sa’ar dismissed Spain’s arms embargo as largely symbolic. At a joint press conference in Budapest, the Israeli foreign minister insisted that Spain would be harmed more than Israel by halting defense cooperation. “They probably need Israeli capabilities far more than we need theirs,” he said, according to The Times of Israel.
Still, Madrid’s measures go beyond symbolic gestures. Sánchez announced that individuals deemed complicit in “genocide, human rights violations and war crimes” would be barred from entering Spain, while consular services for Spaniards living in West Bank settlements would be cut to the bare minimum. Additional aid projects in agriculture, food security, and healthcare will also be directed toward Palestinians, The Times of Israel reported.
The diplomatic clash unfolded against the backdrop of fresh bloodshed in Israel. On the same day as Sánchez’s speech, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing six people and wounding 12 others. Among the dead was a 25-year-old Spanish-Israeli dual national, Yaakov Pinto. Sánchez condemned the attack and extended condolences, but Sa’ar blasted him online, accusing the Spanish leader of siding with Hamas while Israelis were being murdered.
According to The Times of Israel, the dispute underscores not only a growing rift between Israel and Spain but also the broader tension inside Europe, where several governments — including France and the UK — are preparing to follow Madrid’s lead and recognize Palestinian statehood.
Spain of all places!
Sanchez a true son of Franco. A chere should be placed on Spain.