Madrid: Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares summoned the Israeli occupation charge d'affaires in Madrid on Friday following recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, according to Spain's foreign ministry.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Albares summoned Dana Erlich to "categorically reject the false and slanderous statements from Netanyahu's office." The Spanish foreign ministry emphasized that Spain supports a two-state solution aimed at ensuring safety and security for both parties. The statement highlighted Spain's friendship with both Israeli and Palestinian people as crucial for lasting peace.
The diplomatic tension follows Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's announcement last Monday of a series of measures in response to what he described as "genocide" in Gaza. These measures include a total arms embargo and restrictions on vessels carrying fuel to Israel through Spanish ports. Sanchez emphasized that these actions are intended to "stop the genocide in Gaza" and support the Palestinian population, further stating, "There is a difference between defending your country and bombing hospitals or starving innocent children."
In response, Netanyahu's office accused Sanchez of making "a blatant genocidal threat on the world's only Jewish state." The statement referenced historical events, suggesting that past atrocities against Jews were insufficient for Sanchez. Subsequently, the Israeli authorities banned two Spanish ministers from entering the occupied territories.
Reacting to the ban, Albares announced that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir would be prohibited from entering Spanish territory and added to the list of persons subject to sanctions. These individuals would also be included in the Schengen Information System (SIS), further escalating the diplomatic rift.