Spain escalates its feud with Israel, summoning acting ambassador Dana Erlich after Prime Minister Netanyahu accused PM Pedro Sánchez of issuing a “blatant genocidal threat.”
The diplomatic rift between Spain and Israel deepened Friday after Madrid summoned Israel’s acting ambassador, Dana Erlich, to reject remarks made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares demanded clarifications, calling Netanyahu’s claims “false and slanderous,” according to an official from Spain’s Foreign Ministry cited by the Associated Press.
The row began earlier in the week when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared in a televised address that Spain would take steps to pressure Israel to end the Gaza war. Sánchez stated:
“Spain doesn’t have nuclear bombs, nor aircraft carriers or large oil reserves. We alone can’t stop the Israeli offensive.”
Netanyahu’s office responded sharply on Thursday, posting on X that Sánchez’s words amounted to a “blatant genocidal threat.”
This is only the latest flashpoint in a long-simmering feud between Madrid and Jerusalem since the October 7 Hamas massacre and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza:
- Nov 2023: Spain’s ambassador to Israel was summoned after Sánchez accused Israel of “violating international law and carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza.”
- April 2024: Sánchez claimed Israel’s military response was “disproportionate” and risked destabilizing the world.
- May 2024: Albares publicly called for international sanctions against Israel.
- Aug 2025: Spain banned entry to Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, after Israel barred Spanish ministers Yolanda Díaz and Sira Rego.
The tit-for-tat expulsions and rhetoric reflect a widening diplomatic gulf. With Sánchez leaning on his far-left coalition partners, Spain has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel—while Netanyahu’s government views Madrid as aligning with Hamas sympathizers.
Analysts warn that the ongoing diplomatic skirmishes could complicate broader EU-Israel relations, particularly as Spain continues to push for recognition of a Palestinian state and the imposition of sanctions.
