At the directive of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Eden Bar Tal, held a reprimand call on Sunday with the head of the Spanish Embassy in Israel, Francisca Pedrós.
The conversation took place in response to the shocking antisemitic display in which an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was detonated in El Burgo, a small town near the southern city of Malaga.
During the call, Bar Tal stated that “this horrifying display is a direct result of the systematic incitement against the State of Israel by the government of [Prime Minister] Pedro Sánchez."
He added, “Equally outrageous is the fact that, as of this moment, the Spanish government has still not seen fit to condemn this blatant antisemitic spectacle. Such conduct is completely unacceptable."
During the conversation, it was emphasized that this incident is part of the current Spanish government’s biased and hostile policy toward Israel, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
“The Sánchez-led government spreads false blood libels against Israel and IDF soldiers and is attempting to impose sanctions on Israel within the European Union. During the war against Iran, the Spanish government acted against Israel’s interests and those of our ally, the United States. Spain has aligned itself with the world’s most radical regimes - from Venezuela to Iran, where it intends to reopen its embassy."
The Director General of the Foreign Ministry noted that on Friday, Foreign Minister Sa’ar - in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - decided that Spain would not be permitted to participate in the civil-military coordination center in Kiryat Gat, established as part of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
“In light of the Spanish government’s extreme one-sided and anti-Israel positions, it can no longer contribute or serve as a constructive actor in implementing President Trump’s peace plan," Bar Tal concluded.
The incident in El Burgo further escalates a long-running diplomatic dispute between Spain and Israel, which began over the Gaza conflict.
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."
In April of 2024, 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".
A month later, Albares advocated for international sanctions against Israel, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.