Spain to summon Israeli diplomat over Sa’ar’s slamming of its prime minister

Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it would summon the Israeli charge d’affaires today to protest against comments about Spain’s prime minister made by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

Sa’ar called Pedro Sanchez “an antisemite and a liar” in a message on X on Monday after the Spanish premier expressed support of massive pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid and elsewhere that disrupted several stages of the La Vuelta major cycling race, including the final stage.

“This morning, the Foreign Ministry will summon the charge d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Spain to protest the unacceptable words and positions of the Israeli foreign minister regarding Spain and the prime minister,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It will be the second time in less than a week that Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has summoned the envoy to protest comments by the Israeli government.