Spain recalls ambassador after Israeli bans on Spanish ministers
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Spain recalled its ambassador to Israel after entry bans on two ministers as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced nine measures, including an arms embargo and aid for Gaza.
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People march during a pro-Palestinian rally, in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, December 2, 2023 (AP)
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced on Monday the recall of Ambassador Ana Maria Salomon Perez from the occupied Palestinian territories for consultations, following escalating tensions between Madrid and Tel Aviv.
The move came after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared entry bans on Spanish Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz and Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego over their criticism of the occupation’s war on the Gaza Strip. Albares rejected the decision as “slanderous and unacceptable,” according to Antena 3 broadcaster.
On the same day, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled nine new measures against "Israel" in response to its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. These include a law formalizing Spain’s de facto arms embargo, a ban on ships carrying fuel for the Israeli army from docking at Spanish ports, and the closure of Spanish airspace to government aircraft transporting military supplies.
The measures further bar individuals accused of “genocide, human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza” from entering Spain, while limiting consular services for Spanish citizens residing in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Madrid also pledged 10 million euros ($11.7 million) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and committed to boosting humanitarian aid for Gaza to 150 million euros by 2026.
Sanchez reveals measures to halt Gaza genocide
Sanchez on Monday announced the nine new measures aimed at stopping the “genocide in Gaza,” stating, in a televised address, “What Israel is doing is not defending itself, it is exterminating a defenseless population."
He said that although Spain has de facto been applying an export ban on weapons to "Israel" since 2023, the government will now urgently legislate a “permanent” ban, a measure that will be joined by prohibiting ships transporting fuel to Israeli forces from using Spanish ports and banning aircraft carrying defense material from Spanish airspace.
The Spanish Premier added that individuals “directly involved in the genocide, violating human rights and war crimes in Gaza” will be prohibited from entering Spain.
Other measures include banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, limiting Spanish consular services to Spanish citizens living in the occupied territories to the bare minimum, and increasing Spain’s presence in Rafah with additional troops and new joint projects with the Palestinian Authority to provide food and medicine.
Spain will also increase its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) by €10 million ($11.7 million) and commit €150 million in additional humanitarian aid for Gaza in 2026.
“We know these measures will not be enough to put an end to the war crimes, but we hope they serve to apply pressure to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Sanchez stated, adding that “Spain alone cannot stop the war, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”
