Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez of levelling a “genocidal menace” towards Israel, drawing an outraged response from Madrid on Friday.
“I do not suppose Netanyahu is precisely the particular person entitled to lecture anybody whereas committing the atrocities he’s committing in Gaza,” Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles advised Antena 3 tv.
Her feedback got here in response to a message Netanyahu’s workplace posted on X Thursday accusing Sánchez of threatening Israel — the newest fiery alternate between the 2 nations.
On Monday, the Spanish premier had introduced measures to “put an finish to the genocide in Gaza”, together with an arms embargo, a ban on boats carrying gas for the Israeli army and restrictions on imports from unlawful settlements.
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“Spain, as , doesn’t have nuclear bombs. Nor does it have plane carriers or giant oil reserves. We alone can not cease the Israeli offensive, however that doesn’t imply we’ll cease attempting,” he mentioned in an deal with.
On Thursday, Netanyahu’s workplace issued a scathing response.
“Spanish PM Sánchez mentioned yesterday that Spain cannot cease Israel’s battle towards Hamas terrorists as a result of ‘Spain doesn’t have nuclear weapons.’ That is a blatant genocidal menace on the world’s solely Jewish State,” it mentioned.
Just a few hours later, Spain’s international ministry issued a rebuttal.
In an announcement, it careworn that “the Spanish individuals are pals of the individuals of Israel as of the individuals of Palestine”, denouncing the Israeli premier’s remarks as “false and slanderous”.
The week-long spat between Israel and Spain comes after months of worsening relations.
Socialist chief Sánchez has been one in every of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza, launched after the unprecedented October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on Israeli soil.
He’s essentially the most senior European chief to check with the conflict as a “genocide”, and in Could of final 12 months broke with European allies by recognising a Palestinian state.
Israel has since had no ambassador in Madrid, which recalled its personal ambassador to Israel on Monday after International Minister Gideon Saar accused Spain of waging an “anti-Israel and antisemitic marketing campaign”.
