<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Chargé d'Affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Spain this Tuesday morning to protest "the unacceptable words and positions of the Israeli Foreign Minister regarding Spain and the Prime Minister," according to official sources from the Foreign Ministry.</strong></h4> "A few days ago, the Prime Minister of Spain lamented not having an atomic bomb to stop Israel. Today, he encouraged protesters to take to the streets," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on the social media platform X last Sunday, after protests in solidarity with the Gaza Strip forced the organizers of the Vuelta a Espana to cancel the final stage in central Madrid. "The pro-Palestinian mob heard the inciting messages and attacked the Vuelta a Espana," he continued. “The sporting event that has always been a source of pride for Spain has been canceled. Sánchez and his government: shame on Spain!” he concluded. Shortly before, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his “absolute recognition and respect for the athletes,” but also his “admiration for a people like the Spanish who mobilize for just causes like Palestine.” The PP and Vox, as well as Israel, accused the Prime Minister of having provoked these incidents. Last Friday, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Spain to categorically reject the “false and slanderous statements by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he accused Pedro Sánchez of having committed a “blatant genocidal threat” against Israel, according to sources at the Ministry. “Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez said yesterday that Spain cannot stop Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists because ‘Spain does not have nuclear weapons,’” Netanyahu wrote on social media last Thursday. “This constitutes a blatant genocidal threat against the only Jewish state in the world,” he continued. “Apparently, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of Jews from Spain, and the systematic mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust are not enough for Sánchez. Incredible,” he added. Separately, on Monday, September 8, José Manuel Albares summoned the Spanish ambassador in Tel Aviv, Ana Sálomon, for consultations “in light of the slanderous accusations against Spain and the unacceptable measures against two members of our country’s government.” This occurred after Pedro Sánchez announced that same day nine measures to stop Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, including the “urgent” adoption of a Royal Decree-Law to impose an arms embargo on Israel. In response to these measures, Gideon Saar called the Spanish government "anti-Semitic" and declared that they are "a clear attempt by the corrupt Sánchez government to distract attention from the serious corruption scandals." He also announced that he will ban the Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, from entering the country. Albares has asked the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, to condemn the decision by Benjamin Netanyahu's government to sanction Yolanda Díaz and Sira Rego at the European level.
