Sanchez slams EU's Gaza response as moral and political failure

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
Today 08:34

Pedro Sanchez calls out EU divisions over Gaza, urging tougher measures against "Israel" and highlighting the West’s fading moral authority.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a session of parliament in Madrid, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has sharply criticized Europe’s handling of the Israeli war on Gaza, warning that the West’s credibility is being undermined by its contrasting approaches to Gaza and Ukraine.

In an interview with The Guardian ahead of his meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Wednesday, Sanchez described Europe’s stance on "Israel’s" offensive in Gaza as “a failure” and “one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century.”

Sanchez, the first senior European leader to accuse "Israel" of genocide in Gaza, said divisions within the EU have prevented a unified response. “It is a failure. Absolutely,” he said. “Within the European Union, there are countries that are divided on how to influence Israel”. But this lack of unity is not acceptable if we want to maintain credibility in other crises, such as Ukraine.”

He noted that while the roots of the wars differ, “the world is looking at the EU and at Western society and asking: ‘Why the double standards between Ukraine and Gaza?’”

"Gaza represents a defining moral, political test"

The Spanish leader urged Europe to take a stronger stance, including financial measures against "Israel". Spain, he said, has been pressing to suspend the EU’s strategic partnership with "Israel", insisting that Gaza represents a defining moral and political test.

Sanchez also used the interview to address broader global issues. He accused the US under President Donald Trump of undermining the post-Second World War rules-based order that Washington itself helped create. “The most shocking reality is that the principal architect of the international order is now weakening it,” Sanchez said, arguing that this could open space for the EU and UK to play a greater role if they act with consistency and moral clarity.

He defended migration as an economic and social opportunity, warning that right-wing and far-right parties were distorting climate science for political gain. “The dilemma for Western societies is whether we open up and grow, or close off and shrink,” he said, stressing that Spain sees migration as vital for economic growth and sustaining the welfare state.

Sanchez also pointed to Spain’s climate agenda, condemning traditional conservative parties for echoing far-right rhetoric and delaying action. “Perhaps they don’t deny climate change outright, but they behave as if it doesn’t exist,” he said.

It is worth noting that the London meeting, the first major bilateral summit between the UK and Spain in over a decade, was made possible by a breakthrough deal on Gibraltar after Brexit.