Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar decided on Friday, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Spain will not be permitted to participate in the CMCC, the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, established under President Trump’s peace plan.
In its announcement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry explained the decision was made against the backdrop of "the anti-Israel obsession of Prime Minister Sánchez’s government and its serious harm to Israeli (and also American) interests, including during the war against Iran."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar stated: “The Sánchez government’s anti-Israel bias is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve as a constructive actor in implementing President Trump’s peace plan and in the CMCC operating under that plan."
Spain has been notified accordingly.
The United States was briefed in advance on this decision.
This afternoon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented: "Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world."
"Therefore, I have instructed today to remove Spain's representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel. Those who attack the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region."
"I am not willing to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price."
In recent weeks, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emerged as one of the most vocal European critics of Israel’s policies and of the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran. Sánchez has repeatedly described the campaign as illegal and warned that it risks further destabilizing the Middle East, while calling for diplomacy instead of military action.
His government has taken concrete steps reflecting this position, including refusing to allow the United States to use Spanish military bases for operations connected to strikes on Iran and limiting cooperation related to the conflict. Reports also indicate that Spain restricted access to its airspace for aircraft involved in such missions.
Sánchez has also sharply criticized Israel’s military activity in the region, including its operations in Lebanon, claiming they could lead to widespread destruction similar to that seen in Gaza. At the same time, Spanish officials have rejected Israeli accusations that Madrid is siding with Iran, insisting their policy is based on opposition to military escalation and support for international law.