In brief
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called for Israel's exclusion from international sports events due to its actions in Gaza, likening the situation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This statement follows recent protests in Spain that condemned Israel's military actions, with Sánchez asserting that Israel should not use international platforms to improve its image. The Spanish government has expressed widespread support for these protests, while tensions with Israeli officials escalate.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for Israel to be excluded from international sports competitions over its actions in Gaza.
Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image, he told elected representatives of his Socialist Workers' Party.
He said Israel should be treated in the same way as Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On Sunday, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the Spanish prime minister a disgrace and accused him of inciting pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid, which caused the cancellation of the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race, in which an Israeli team was competing.
Earlier in the day, Sánchez had said that previous protests during the three-week race had shown that Spain shines as an example, with pride on the Gaza issue.
Several Spanish government ministers also praised the final stage protest, which involved about 100,000 people, according to official figures.
It's a relief to me that thousands and thousands of people mobilize against that genocide, because it is genocide and it has no other name, said Óscar López, the minister of digital transformation.
Israel has regularly denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide and states they are justified as a means of self-defense.
Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has also stated that Israel should not participate in the following Eurovision Song Contest, repeating earlier calls from Sánchez.
The relationship between Israel and Spain has been fragile since late 2023, when Sánchez expressed concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza, and earlier this year, Spain joined Norway and Ireland in acknowledging a Palestinian state. A recent poll by the Elcano Royal Institute indicated that at least 82% of Spaniards believe genocide is occurring in Gaza.
