The Spain Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Thursday (26) the business officer of the Israeli embassy in Madrid to provide clarification on what he classified as an “unacceptable statement” released by the Israeli representation. The episode occurs after the Spanish government asked the European Union to suspend the association agreement with Israel, under the justification of “human rights violations” in the Gaza Strip.
In the statement, the embassy of Israel stated that the government’s request, Pedro Sánchez, is “morally indeed” and accused Spain of positioning itself “on the wrong side of history” by proposing the disruption of the agreement. The diplomatic note also criticized the Spanish government for adopting, according to Israel, a “increasingly isolated” stance on European policy for the Middle East.
The call was made to the embassy’s business officer, as Israel has not had ambassador in Spain since May 2024. At the time, the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, decided to remove its representative after Sánchez announced the recognition of the state of Palestine.
This is the third time in just over a month that the Spanish Foreign Ministry summons the Israeli representative in Madrid. In early June, the diplomat was called after the interception of the Freedom Flotilha, which brought humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In May, the call took place after shots from Israel’s defense forces against diplomats visiting a refugee camp in Jenin, West Bank.
