-By Pratik Yagnik
The decision by Spain to formally recognize a Palestinian state in oct 7 May 2024, followed by imposing a total arms embargo on Israel in September 2025, did not occur in a diplomatic vacuum. These symbolic acts marked a new low in relations with Israel, culminating in the recall of ambassadors and accusations of antisemitism. The ensuing diplomatic row, amplified by vitriolic exchanges on social media platforms is just the latest act in the long history fraught history between Spain and Israel.
The Spark
The proximal cause of the tensions between Spain and Israel is the October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel from Gaza. The horrific attack on Israeli citizens resulted in more than 1200 deaths and multiple citizens being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists into Gaza. Israel responded overwhelmingly to rescue its kidnapped citizens and with an aim to permanently destroy Hamas’s ability to conduct any similar operations in the future. Israeli military actions in Gaza have resulted in wide spread destruction in Gaza and caused a large number of civilian casualties.
The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been an outspoken critic of Israel. After being elected in 2023, Sanchez undertook his first foreign trip to the Middle East in a move demonstrate the importance he was attaching to the region. In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Sanchez empathised with Israel and called for the release of all hostages, but also emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Sanchez impressed upon the Israelis that to curtail the civilian deaths, especially those of children in Gaza. His position has been rooted in Spain’s long-standing position of supporting the Palestinian cause and the belief that that a two-state solution is the only viable to long term peace in the region.
However, with continuing military action by Israel, Spain appeared to have lost patience. The diplomatic friction escalated with Spain’s push for a permanent ceasefire and its unilateral decision to recognise the Palestinian state in 2024, much to Israel’s chagrin. This resulted in tit for tat expulsion of diplomats of both countries.
In September 2025, Spain’s actions on Israel include nine measures to “stop the genocide in Gaza, to prosecute its executors, and to support the Palestinian population”. These included:
- Legal consolidation of the arms embargo enforced on Israel since 2023.
- Ban on transit through Spanish ports to all ships carrying fuel for IDF
- Denial of entry into Spanish airspace to all State aircraft carrying defence equipment for Israel
- Prohibition of access to Spanish territory for all persons directly involved in alleged genocide, human rights violations, and war crimes in Gaza.
- Prohibition of import of products from illegal settlements in Gaza
- Limiting consular services to Spanish citizens residing in Israeli settlements
- Strengthened support for Palestinian Authority through an increase in Spanish troops in EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah and greater collaboration in areas of agriculture, food security, and medical assistance
- Additional EUR 10 million contribution to UNRWA
- Increase in the allocation of humanitarian aid and cooperation for Gaza to reach EUR 150 million by 2026.
Troubled History
The current fracas between Spain and Israel is rooted in a complicated history. The relationship’s foundational moment is the 1492 Alhambra Decree that ordered the expulsion of all Sephardic Jews from Spain. For centuries, Spain had little to no diplomatic engagement with the Jewish state due to this historical baggage and subsequent geopolitical priorities.
The period under General Francisco Franco’s regime (1939-75) solidified the lack of engagement with Israel. Initially, Franco refrained from establishing diplomatic relations with Israel due to his alignment with Nazi Germany. Post World War II, Franco’s affinity with Arab states ensured that his anti-Israel stance continued. Spain was the last West European nation to establish formal diplomatic relations with Israel as late as 1986. This was however driven by Spain’s desire to join the European Economic Community (EEC), which later become the European Union, and establishing ties with Israel was a de facto requirement for entry. These ties however, did not come at the cost of relationships with Arab states which Spain was careful to ensure that they remain healthy.
This affinity towards Arab states has continued across various administrations in Spain. Prime Ministers Aznar, Zapatero and Rajoy all maintained a stance of cautious and balanced engagement with Israel and Palestine. Pedro Sanchez, a left leaning leader, has put emphasis on affirming statehood for Palestine and has criticized Israel’s military actions aggressively.
The Digital Battlefield
The recent diplomatic spat between Israel and Spain has played out in the digital arena as well.
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz while announcing the diplomatic recognition of the Palestinian State in May 2024, admonished Israel and ended her video with the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This drew wide spread criticism from the Israelis including accusations of antisemitism.
In reaction to the recognition of the Palestinian state by Spain, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) set to a backdrop of flamenco music with the words “Hamas thanks you for your service” and tagging PM Sanchez. Spanish Foreign Minister condemned the video as “scandalous and execrable.”
He criticised the Spanish authorities for their stance and referenced the expulsion of Jews from Spain in another post while vowing to defend Israel.
The Palestinian themselves have been extensively using social media to highlight purported Israeli atrocities and to strengthen their case of a genocide being committed against them. While there is an element of information warfare, the content pushed by the Palestinians has found favour in many quarters around the world including the sections of the Israeli population who have called for the cessation of hostilities.
The use of social media has had significant implications and has transformed a complex diplomatic dispute into a series of emotionally charged public spectacles. Bypassing of traditional diplomatic channels in an effort to influence global and domestic audiences by all sides has resulted in hardening of positions and made it difficult to de-escalate without appearing to climb down from positions.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
The diplomatic spat between Spain and Israel carries significant implications that extend beyond the immediate verbal sparring and actions by either party. At the bilateral level, the crisis has now resulted in tangible consequences. The political trust between the two governments has been severely damaged and can have serious implications for both trade and security relationships between the two countries.
Within the Europe, Spain’s actions have placed it at the forefront of a bloc of countries namely Ireland, Norway, Belgium, and Slovenia, that have advocated for a more assertive policy on Palestine and have also gone as far as to recognize the Palestinian state. This is in contrast to the position held by major European powers like France, Germany and UK that have had a more cautious approach by highlighting the Palestinian cause but prioritising Israeli security concerns. Spain’s vocal leadership has the potential to tip European policies and public opinion decisively in favour of the Palestinians. This was demonstrated with European countries voting en-masse in favour of recognising a Palestinian state in a vote in the UN General assembly.
India’s Position: A Balancing Act
India’s position in the Israel-Spain diplomatic in the backdrop of Israeli action in Gaza has been a reflection of its broader policy of “strategic autonomy.” India has had favourable relations with all three parties and has largely maintained a nuanced and non-partisan stance on the conflict.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar clearly defined India’s position by outlining the following points:
- What happened on October 7th, 2023 was a terrorist attack without any caveats.
- Israel has a right to respond but should be mindful of the civilian casualties and of international humanitarian laws.
- Hostages should be released immediately.
- Need for a sustainable humanitarian corridor to provide relief for the civilian population.
- Implementation of a long-term solution to the conflict to prevent recurrence of hostilities which necessarily includes India’s long-standing position of a two-state solution.
Position adopted by India is perfectly reasonable and one that will be deemed acceptable to all parties. Quiet diplomacy also means that India is well positioned to play a proactive role in settling the immediate dispute not just between Israel and Spain, but also the larger Israel-Palestine conflict that has been going for many decades.