MADRID, September 8, 2025 (WAFA) – Spain's Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that it recalled its ambassador in Israel for consultations in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s remarks accusing Madrid of anti-Semitism following its new measures against Israel-bound ships and aircraft over the genocidal aggression on Gaza.
“The Spanish Government strongly rejects the false and slanderous accusations of anti-Semitism made by the Israeli Government against Spain and the Spanish people, as well as the unacceptable ban on two members of the Spanish Government entering Israel,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.
It explained that “The measures relating to the inhumane situation in Gaza and the West Bank, announced today by the President of the Spanish Government, reflect the majority opinion of Spanish society and are adopted within the framework of its sovereignty and in line with its defence of peace, human rights and international law.”
The Ministry reaffirmed the Spanish Government’s firm support to “the existence of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in good neighbourliness and guaranteeing each other peace and security”.
It demanded that Israel “end its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, end the violence unleashed against the Palestinian civilian population and end the humanitarian blockade of the Strip.
“The Spanish Government will not be intimidated in its defence of peace, international law and human rights,” it concluded.
Earlier today, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced nine measures against Israel to "stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators and support the Palestinian population" as the war approaches the two-year mark.
At the heart of the package is a royal decree law to formalise and make permanent Spain’s embargo on the purchase and sale of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to Israel.
Additional measures include banning ships carrying fuel for the Israeli army from docking in Spanish ports, and denying access to Spanish airspace for state aircraft transporting defence material bound for Israel.
Madrid will also bar entry to individuals “directly involved in genocide, human rights violations and war crimes” in Gaza, a prohibition that could apply to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government.
Madrid will also prohibit imports from Israeli colonies in the occupied West Bank, while restricting consular services to Spanish citizens living in those colonies to a bare minimum.
On the humanitarian front, Sanchez pledged enhanced support for the Palestinian Authority, including a larger Spanish presence in the EU mission in Rafah and new cooperative projects.
Spain will also contribute an additional €10 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and increase its overall humanitarian aid to Gaza to €150 million by 2026.
K.F.
