Spain and Israel have found themselves at the center of a rapidly escalating diplomatic storm, as accusations, countermeasures, and strong rhetoric have placed both nations’ governments under the international spotlight. The latest chapter in this ongoing saga unfolded on September 12, 2025, when Spain summoned Israel’s acting ambassador in Madrid, Dana Erlich, in response to what Spanish officials described as “false and slanderous statements” from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. This move marked a significant escalation in the already tense relations between the two countries, which have been strained by the ongoing war in Gaza and differing stances on the conflict.
According to Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, called in Erlich to categorically reject recent remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The controversy centers on comments made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez earlier in the week, when he announced a series of measures aimed at pressuring Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza. These included a permanent embargo on weapons, ammunition, and military equipment sold to or from Israel, as well as a ban on Israel-bound fuel deliveries passing through Spanish ports.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office responded with a highly charged post on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), accusing Sanchez of making a “blatant genocidal threat.” The post stated: “Spanish PM Sanchez said yesterday that Spain can’t stop Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists because ‘Spain does not have nuclear weapons.’ That’s a blatant genocidal threat on the world’s only Jewish State.” The statement went further, invoking historical tragedies such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust, and adding, “Apparently, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews of Spain and the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust, is not enough for Sanchez. Incredible.”
Sanchez’s actual remarks, delivered in a televised address on September 8, were more nuanced. He said, “Spain, as you know, doesn’t have nuclear bombs, nor aircraft carriers, nor large oil reserves. We alone can’t stop the Israeli offensive, but that doesn’t mean we won’t stop trying.” The Spanish leader then announced a total of nine measures, including barring extremist Israeli Cabinet ministers from entering Spain, imposing a permanent weapons embargo, and banning imports from the occupied Palestinian territories.
These steps, Sanchez explained, were aimed at stopping what he described as “genocide in Gaza.” The Spanish government has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in the territory, which began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. That attack, according to the Associated Press, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages.
Since then, Israel’s response has been devastating. The Gaza Health Ministry, as cited by multiple outlets, reports that more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing offensive, though other sources, such as Palestine Chronicle, place the figure even higher at over 64,700, with more than 163,000 wounded. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is described as unprecedented since World War II. Additionally, a man-made famine caused by the Israeli blockade has led to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, mostly children, with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
In the wake of Sanchez’s announcements, Israel and Spain have engaged in a tit-for-tat exchange of diplomatic sanctions. Israel accused Madrid of antisemitism and barred two Spanish Cabinet ministers from entering the country. Spain, in response, recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and barred certain extremist Israeli ministers from entering Spain. These moves highlight the deepening rift between the two nations and underscore the broader international divisions over the war in Gaza.
Spain’s foreign ministry, in a statement quoted by Reuters and Palestine Chronicle, sought to distance itself from accusations of antisemitism, noting, “Spain rejects any form of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia or intolerance, and has welcomed 72,000 Sephardic Jews as fellow countrymen in recent years as a result of specific legislation for them.” The ministry also emphasized that Spain had “immediately condemned” the October 7 Hamas operation, but with “the same determination, Spain calls for an immediate end to the endless violence in Gaza.”
Furthermore, the Spanish government has thrown its support behind ongoing international legal proceedings related to the conflict. The ministry’s statement stressed support for “the work of the international courts to clarify what has been happening in Gaza since 2023, both in terms of the investigation by the International Criminal Court into crimes against humanity committed by several Israeli leaders and the proceedings before the International Court of Justice against the State of Israel under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” The International Court of Justice is currently investigating allegations of genocide against Israel, while the International Criminal Court has issued warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The diplomatic spat between Spain and Israel comes amid a broader context of international frustration over the ongoing war in Gaza. Despite widespread condemnation and calls for restraint, the conflict has shown little sign of abating. The Spanish government’s decision to take concrete measures—such as the weapons embargo and the barring of Israeli ministers—reflects a growing impatience among some European nations with what they see as a lack of accountability for Israel’s actions.
For its part, Israel maintains that its military campaign is a necessary response to the threat posed by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. The Israeli government has repeatedly argued that it is acting in self-defense after the October 7 attack, and has rejected accusations of genocide or disproportionate use of force. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has been particularly vocal in pushing back against international criticism, framing such rebukes as dangerous and unjustified.
As the diplomatic row continues, both countries appear unwilling to back down. Spain’s Foreign Minister Albares has insisted that his government will “categorically reject the false and slanderous statements from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office,” while Israeli officials have stood by their accusations against Sanchez. With each side digging in, the prospect of a swift resolution seems remote.
All the while, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with tens of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands displaced, and infrastructure in ruins. The international community remains divided, with legal proceedings underway but little concrete action to halt the violence. For now, the standoff between Spain and Israel serves as a stark reminder of the deep fissures that the Gaza war has opened—not just in the Middle East, but across the globe.
