Spain and Israel’s relations plunged to new depths on Tuesday as Madrid barred two far-right Israeli government ministers, a day after announcing measures aimed at stopping what it called “the genocide in Gaza”.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich would be sanctioned and “not be able to enter Spanish territory”, Madrid’s top diplomat Jose Manuel Albares told a press conference.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday had unveiled nine measures in response to the devastating war in Gaza, launched after Palestinian militant group Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel in 2023.
The measures included an entry ban on “all those people participating directly in the genocide, the violation of human rights and war crimes in the Gaza Strip”.
Ben Gvir and Smotrich are already the target of sanctions by Western countries including Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia.
Spain had already placed 13 Israeli settlers on its sanctions list.
Monday’s announcement triggered a furious reaction from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who accused the Spanish government of antisemitism and barred two of its far-left members.
Spain in turn rejected what it called the “slanderous” accusations and recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv. Albares said on Tuesday there was “no scheduled return date” for her.
Relations were already poor, with Spain maintaining outspoken criticism of the Israeli offensive in Gaza and recognising a Palestinian state last year.
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages, with 47 still held in Gaza, including 25 believed to be dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,605 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.
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