Spain on Friday summoned Israel’s acting ambassador in Madrid, Dana Erlich, to address accusations made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier, according to The Associated Press.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called in Erlich, Israel's charge d'affaires, to "categorically reject the false and slanderous statements from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office," according to an unnamed official from Spain’s Foreign Ministry.
The diplomatic spat began after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that his country would take measures to pressure Israel to end the Gaza war. During that announcement, made in a televised address, Sanchez said, "Spain, as you know, doesn’t have nuclear bombs, nor aircraft carriers or large oil reserves. We alone can’t stop the Israeli offensive."
Netanyahu’s office responded with a post on X on Thursday, claiming Sánchez had made a "blatant genocidal threat."
The incident reflects the ongoing tensions between Spain and Israel since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza.
In November of 2023, Spain’s Ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Foreign Ministry after Sanchez claimed that "Israel is violating international law and is carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza."
Last April, Sanchez criticized what he called Israel's "disproportionate response" in the Gaza war, saying it risks "destabilizing the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world".
In May, Albares advocated for international sanctions against Israel, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Last month, Spain announced that it will prohibit National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory, in retaliation for Israel banning Deputy Spanish Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz and Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego from entering Israel.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)