Luis Ayllón
The Israeli ambassador to Spain, Rodica Radian-Gordon, returned to Madrid yesterday, ending the period of call for consultations by the Government of Benjamin Netayahu, which began on November 30, as confirmed to The Diplomat by sources from the Israeli diplomatic representation.
The decision to allow the return of the ambassador was adopted on the 4th by the new Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, after observing “a change for the better” in the Spanish Government’s messages regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip and due to “the importance of relations between Israel and Spain.”
Rodica Radian-Gordon was called for consultations by the Israeli Executive, in protest against statements by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in which he questioned whether Israel was respecting International Law in its offensive in Gaza to respond to the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7.
It is foreseeable that in the coming days, according to diplomatic sources consulted by The Diplomat, the ambassador will go to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to maintain contact with those responsible for the department on Middle East issues. It so happens that, in the time that the ambassador has been away from Spain, there has been a change at the head of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, which was previously occupied by Ángeles Moreno. Currently it is done by Diego Martínez Belío, who, in any case, knows well the dossier of the open dispute between Spain and Israel, because he was previously the chief of staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares.
Precisely, Albares said on Monday in statements to a group of journalists that he had no comment to make upon the ambassador’s return, because that is “a sovereign decision” of Israel, with whom Spain “wants to have the best relations.”
And, he added that, “that does not take away one bit” from the fact that “the voice of the Government of Spain continues to be raised in the defense of innocent Palestinian civilians and in the search for a definitive peace solution in the Middle East” that involves recognition of the Palestinian State by Israel.
The minister also reiterated that “Israel has the right to defend itself,” but within “scrupulous respect for International Law” and “separating terrorist objectives from civilians.” In addition, he insisted on the request for a humanitarian ceasefire that would protect the civilian population and also allow the entry of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip.
