MADRID: Spain on Monday banned ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from calling at Spanish ports or entering its airspace due to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, measures the Israeli foreign minister denounced as antisemitic.

Spain, which recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, responded to Gideon Saar’s comments by summoning its ambassador in Tel Aviv back for consultations.

On top of the ban on ships and aircraft delivering weapons or military-grade jet fuel to Israel, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government said it would not allow anyone who has participated directly in “genocide” in Gaza to enter Spain.

Saar accused Sanchez of using the measures in an attempt to divert attention from domestic corruption scandals, and announced an entry ban on Sanchez’s deputy, Yolanda Diaz, and Youth Minister Sira Rego. Both belong to hard-left party Sumar, the junior partner in Sanchez’s coalition government.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry said Israel’s entry ban was unacceptable, adding that Sanchez’s measures were in line with public sentiment in Spain and reflected Madrid’s support for peace, human rights and international law.

It said Spain was committed to fighting antisemitism, pointing to the granting of Spanish citizenship to 72,000 Sephardic Jews — descendants of those expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century.

In a separate statement, the ministry said Spain strongly condemned Monday’s “terrorist act in East Jerusalem”, in which Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop, killing six people, including a Spanish national living in Israel.

New low in ties

The spat marks a new low in relations over the devastating Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. Sanchez said the nine measures aimed to “stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue its perpetrators and support the Palestinian population”.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025