Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ignited an international firestorm on Wednesday after publicly calling Israel a “genocidal state” during a heated parliamentary session, marking the first time the socialist leader used such language, despite his government’s long-standing alignment with anti-Israel rhetoric.
The remarks came in response to Gabriel Rufián, a leftist Catalan MP, who accused Sánchez of hypocrisy for maintaining trade ties with Israel amid its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Sánchez, pushing back sharply, stated:
“I want to make one thing clear here, Mr. Rufián. We do not do business with a genocidal state, we do not.”
❝We do not do business with a genocidal state, we do not❞
After being accused of maintaining trade ties with Israel despite the Gaza war Spanish Prime Minister described Israel as a ‘genocidal state’ and said Spain ‘does not do business with such a country’… pic.twitter.com/raEnKz1KQ5
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) May 15, 2025
The statement, echoing the language of Sánchez’s far-left coalition partner, the Sumar party, represented a new level of official condemnation. Until now, the prime minister had refrained from personally using the term, even as Spain formally joined South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging genocide by Israel.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned Sánchez’s statement and swiftly summoned the Spanish ambassador, Ana Salomon, to its Jerusalem office for a formal reprimand. The Ministry accused Sánchez of spreading inflammatory and unfounded accusations, saying his words distort the reality of the ongoing conflict and ignore the suffering of Israeli victims.
Elsewhere in Europe, similar rhetoric emerged. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, addressing the city council, referenced the term “genocidal violence” and cited Holocaust scholars critical of Israel’s actions. Her remarks were also met with swift pushback. Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Modi Ephraim said he was “deeply dismayed,” calling her speech a distortion of both historical memory and present-day realities.
Sánchez’s sudden use of the term may reflect mounting internal pressure from the Sumar party and other far-left factions in his government. Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz, who also serves as Spain’s second deputy prime minister, has repeatedly referred to Israel as genocidal and has demanded a total freeze on Spanish-Israeli trade.
In April, Spain quietly canceled a $7 million munitions contract with an Israeli defense company—an apparent concession to Díaz’s demands. The move followed months of criticism from Sumar and grassroots leftist groups accusing Sánchez of failing to align Spain’s foreign policy with his government’s stated human rights principles.
Spain, along with Ireland, has taken an increasingly hardline stance against Israel within the European Union. Last year, Madrid formally recognized the State of Palestine, joining over 140 countries globally, and just weeks later announced its intent to support the ICJ case against Israel.
While EU policy remains broadly supportive of Israel’s right to self-defense, a visible rift is emerging between pro-Israel states like Germany and centrist blocs, and governments such as Spain’s, which are moving toward more aggressive condemnation.
However, critics warn that such rhetoric risks alienating Jewish communities at home and abroad, and may inflame antisemitic sentiment. Elías Levy Benarroch, editor-in-chief of Enfoque Judío, accused Sánchez of becoming “a chief promoter of an antisemitic narrative that is taking root in Spain.”
Despite the strong words, there is no evidence yet that Spain’s statements will shift overall EU policy. Trade continues between Israel and most European partners, and key NATO states have not echoed Sánchez’s rhetoric.
Still, with growing divisions inside the EU and continued domestic pressure on left-wing governments to sever ties with Israel, Sánchez’s statement could signal a new phase in Europe’s diplomatic stance on the Middle East—one driven less by consensus and more by ideological alignment.
For now, Spain insists it is standing on principle. Whether that position leads to real diplomatic fallout—or further isolates the country within the Western alliance—remains to be seen.
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