A new diplomatic crisis has erupted between Spain and Israel, following statements by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the Spanish Parliament, where he spoke of a " state that commits genocide ."
These comments caused outrage in Israel, and the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Spanish ambassador to Israel to "reprimand" him.
" Following the harsh statements of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish ambassador to Israel has been summoned to attend a reprimand meeting tomorrow at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem ," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, quoted by El Pais.
On Wednesday, the Spanish prime minister, responding to Republican Gabriel Ruffian, declared that his government does not trade " with a state that commits genocide ."
Ruffian had previously criticized Sanchez for the ongoing arms sales between Spain and Israel during the Gaza war, which the government denies.
" Let me make one thing clear, Mr. Ruffian. We do not trade with a country that commits genocide. We do not, Mr. President. You mentioned some things that were not true ," Sanchez responded.
Spain has long opposed Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian state.
Sanchez's government recently canceled a contract to buy ammunition for its police from an Israeli company and pledged to ban arms sales to Israel after October 7, 2023.
However, some Spanish media outlets, such as El Pais, have questioned the Spanish Prime Minister's statements, reporting that " Spain made 88 shipments of weapons and ammunition worth 5.3 million euros to Israel between October 7, 2023 and March 31, 2025 ," which Sanchez denies and calls false information. (A2 Televizion)
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