Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez escalated criticism of Israel’s
Gaza war, prompting Israel to ban two left-wing Spanish ministers from entering
the country.
Sánchez made the remarks as he announced a number of actions his administration was taking to put pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the humanitarian situation brought on by its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
“This is not self-defense, it’s not even an attack – it’s the extermination of a defenseless people. It is a violation of all humanitarian laws, and despite that, the international community is failing to stop this tragedy,”
Sánchez said.
In addition to formally enacting an arms embargo, which the Spanish government claims has been in effect since October 2023, he said Spain will prohibit ships that transport fuel for Israel's military from using Spanish ports and boost humanitarian aid to Gaza to 150 million euros ($176 million) in 2026.
Additional actions included a commitment to impose an embargo on products manufactured in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and to boost aid for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
Additionally, anyone who directly participates in what Sánchez termed the “genocide” in Gaza would not be allowed to enter Spanish territory, he said.
“We know that all these measures will not be enough to stop the invasion or the war crimes, but we hope that they will serve to add pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering that the Palestinian population is enduring,”
Sánchez said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded by calling the Spanish government's actions "antisemitic" and claiming Sánchez was attempting to deflect attention from the corruption issues plaguing his Socialist Party.
On X, Saar stated that Israel had prohibited Spain's Youth Minister Sira Rego and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz from visiting the nation. Both are owned by Sumar, a partner in the government's left-wing alliance. Because the ministers had called Israel a "genocidal state" and backed calls to boycott or impose sanctions on the country, Saar stated they would not be allowed to enter Israel.
The government of Spain has been a vocal opponent of Israel's war in Gaza since it started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed almost 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and took 251 hostages. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that Israel's attack has killed around 64,000 Palestinians, albeit it does not specify the number of combatants or civilians killed.
Spain was the first European nation to request authorization from a UN court to join South Africa's complaint charging Israel of genocide in Gaza, and it joined Norway and Ireland last year in formally recognizing a Palestinian state.
Saar toned down the impact that the acts of the Spanish government would have on Israel on Monday.
“If they want to hold or halt defense connections with Israel,”
Saar told reporters,
“who do you think will lose from that? We don’t need Spain to protect the land of Israel.”
What specific measures make Spain's arms embargo legally
binding?
Spain has attached a royal decree law to the arm embargo on
Israel making it law, through a decision of the Spanish government as taken by
the Cabinet and requiring approval of Parliament.
The decree prohibits any purchase and sale of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to Israel, thus making an arms embargo which was previously only de facto, enforceable law.
Spain prohibits any ships carrying arms or fuel for the Israeli military from entering any Spanish port and prohibits any Israeli military aircraft overflying Spain;
Entry bans are imposed against individuals implicated in alleged genocide, war crimes and human rights abuses linked to the conflict including senior Israeli officials.