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MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Israel recalls Spanish ambassador over Sánchez’s latest remarks on Gaza

Israel's foreign minister said Thursday he was recalling the country's envoy to Madrid over "outrageous remarks" by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez questioning the legality of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Published: 30 November 2023 17:05 CET
Israel recalls Spanish ambassador over Sánchez's latest remarks on Gaza
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on the conflict in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City on October 24, 2023. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

“Because of the outrageous remarks by the Spanish prime minister, who again repeated baseless claims, I have decided to summon the Israeli ambassador in Spain for consultations in Jerusalem,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The move came after an interview in which Sánchez said he had “serious doubts” over the legality of Israel’s actions in the war-torn Gaza Strip, an Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying it was “not the first time” the Spanish leader had expressed such views.

Diplomatic tensions between Israel and Spain have soared following repeated remarks by Sánchez criticising Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that came in response to Hamas’s October 7th attack.

In an interview on Thursday with Spanish public television, Sánchez said the world had to tell Israel “it needs to base its actions on international humanitarian law, and with the images we are seeing and the growing number of people dying, especially boys and girls, I have serious doubts”.

READ ALSO: Spain’s PM calls on EU to recognise Palestinian state

Israel has also recalled its ambassadors from Turkey and South Africa following remarks by those countries’ leaders over the war in Gaza.

It was not immediately clear when Israeli ambassador Rodica Radian-Gordon would leave Madrid for Jerusalem.

“Israel is acting and will continue to act according to international law and we will continue with the war until all of the hostages are freed and until the elimination of Hamas in Gaza,” Cohen wrote on X.

“There is only one body responsible for the massacre on October 7th and for the situation in Gaza today, and that is the Hamas terror organisation that carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity against Israeli citizens and residents of the Gaza Strip.”

Sánchez sparked another angry response from Israel last Friday when he denounced the “indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians” in a speech in Egypt.

He was joined by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo who also said Israel’s “operation needs to respect international humanitarian law”.

The Israeli foreign minister promptly summoned the ambassadors of both countries “for a harsh rebuke”, his office said in a statement, accusing the two leaders of supporting “terrorism”.

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POLITICS

Spain-Argentina spat rages on after Milei calls Sánchez’s wife ‘corrupt’

Spain on Sunday said it was recalling its ambassador from Buenos Aires after Argentine President Javier Milei, speaking at a far-right gathering in Madrid, called Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife "corrupt".

Published: 20 May 2024 08:52 CEST
Spain-Argentina spat rages on after Milei calls Sánchez's wife 'corrupt'

The European Union also stepped into the row, its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemning Milei’s remarks.

The anti-establishment Argentine was the star speaker at a meeting of global far-right leaders organised by Spain’s Vox party called Viva 24, which also featured Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen.

During his speech, Milei referred to Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, as a “corrupt woman”.

He did not identify Sánchez or his wife by name, but he did allude to a cooling-off period that Spain’s Socialist premier took last month to decide whether to resign after a court opened a preliminary probe into his wife for suspected influence peddling and corruption.

Sánchez has dismissed the allegations against Gómez as part of a campaign of political harassment by the right.

“The global elites don’t realise how destructive it can be to implement the ideas of socialism… even if you have a corrupt wife, let’s say, it gets dirty, and you take five days to think about it,” Milei said.

Just hours later, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced that Madrid would recall for consultations its ambassador to Argentina, and demanded a public apology from Milei.

“It is unacceptable that a sitting president visiting Spain should insult Spain and the Spanish prime minister, a fact that breaks with all diplomatic customs,” Albares said in a televised address.

The recall of an ambassador for consultations is one of the strongest measures in diplomacy and the final step before the severing of diplomatic relations.

‘Satanic’ socialism

Milei responded to Spain’s move by reposting a video of his speech on social media, along with the comment “here are my words at Viva 24 that make you so uncomfortable”.

Milei, who began his visit to Spain on Friday, was not scheduled to meet Sánchez or King Felipe VI during his stay, as would be customary during a visit by a foreign leader.

During a speech on his first day in Spain, Milei denounced what he called “satanic” socialism.

“Let us not let the dark, black, satanic, atrocious, horrible carcinogenic side that is socialism prevail over us,” he said, in a talk about his books on libertarian ideas.

He picked up the theme again on Sunday during his address to the rally at Madrid’s Vistalegre congress centre, which was attended by some 11,000 people according to Vox.

“I will lead by example and show the world that a government with our ideas can succeed. It is up to me to show them how sinister and nefarious socialism is,” he said.

The event came ahead of elections to the European Parliament from June 6-9.

Surveys suggest those will result in major gains for Europe’s far right, giving it more influence in Brussels.

‘Benefit a few’

Milei, a self-declared “anarcho-capitalist” won elections last November vowing to reduce the Argentine deficit to zero.

To that end, he has instituted an austerity programme that has seen the government slash subsidies for transport, fuel and energy.

Le Pen, France’s far-right standard-bearer and former presidential candidate, stressed the need for tighter limits on immigration in her speech, a central theme of European far-right parties.

“Entire areas of my country, France, are being submerged by immigration,” she said.

In video messages, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged “patriots” to “occupy Brussels”, while Meloni, Italy’s premier, called for a “mobilisation” to bring about “change in Europe”.

In a message posted on X, Sánchez said the “international far-right” was meeting in Madrid “because Spain represents what they hate: feminism, social justice, labour dignity”.

Hundreds of people, many holding up signs that read “no fascism!” protested in Madrid’s central Plaza de Colón against the gathering.

Among them was 27-year-old Argentinian Marisel Cherasco who criticised Milei’s policies because they “benefit a few at the expense of the well-being of the majority”.

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