Spanish Ambassador to Israel, Ana Salomon, was summoned for a reprimand at the Israeli foreign ministry in Jerusale following a statement by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezhas calling Israel a ‘’genocidal state.’’
Israel’s Ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that it condemns and rejects the allegation, and that it will summon Spain’s ambassador to Israel for a dressing down.
It was during a parliamentary question-and-answer session in the Cortes, the parliament in Madrid, that Sanchez responded to criticism from Gabriel Rufian, a Catalan member of parliament, who accused the PSOE (Socialist) leader of maintaining trade ties with Israel despite the Gaza war.
“I want to make one thing clear here, Mr. Rufian. We do not do business with a genocidal state, we do not,” Sanchez answered.
According to the Spanish media, it was the first time Sanchez publicly used the term “genocidal state.’’
His partner in the coalition, Yolanda Diaz, leader of the extreme-left Sumar party and Second Deputy Prime Ministe, has frequently accused Israel of genocide and has called for a freeze on trade relations between Spain and Israel.
Spain is with Ireland one of the most anti-Israel country within the European Union. In May 2024, he announced Spain’s recognition Palestine as a state. S