Spanish PM announces arms embargo, ban on West Bank goods; Sa’ar sanctions Madrid’s ministers

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announces new measures against Israel over its wartime conduct in Gaza, including an arms embargo and a ban on some Israeli goods, as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announces sanctions on two Spanish ministers and accuses Spain of antisemitism.

In a televised address, Sanchez says Spain will step up pressure on Israel by approving a legal arms embargo, imposing a ban on entry for those who participate in what he characterizes as a “genocide” against Palestinians, prohibiting Israel-bound ships and aircraft carrying weapons from docking at Spanish ports or entering Spanish airspace, and enforcing an embargo on goods produced in Israeli West Bank settlements.

Shortly ahead of Sanchez’s remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announces sanctions on two Spanish ministers over what he describes as anti-Israel and antisemitic activity, in a Hebrew-language post on X.

“The government of Spain is leading a hostile, anti-Israel line, marked by wild, hate-filled rhetoric,” Sa’ar writes, accusing Sanchez’s “corrupt” administration of trying to “divert attention from grave corruption scandals” through its anti-Israel stance.

“It is no longer possible to avoid imposing personal sanctions on members of the Spanish government who have crossed every red line,” Sa’ar writes, declaring an entry and contact ban on Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor Yolanda Diaz and Minister of Children and Youth Sira Rego.

Sa’ar lists repeated statements and calls for actions against Israel by the two ministers made in the wake of the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023, saying the different examples amount to calls for the destruction of Israel or support for terrorism and violence against Israelis.

“The entry of these ministers into Israel is prohibited, and Israel will not maintain any contact with them,” he says.

While “not every criticism of Israeli policy constitutes antisemitism,” Sa’ar adds, the criticism coming from Spain is “characterized by demonization, delegitimization, and double standards,” which he stresses “is antisemitism, according to the IHRA definition” — a framework for identifying and responding to contemporary antisemitism formulated in 2016.

“The statements of members of the Spanish government are tainted with all these elements. So is its policy. This is antisemitism. Therefore, I have decided to bring the issue of the overt antisemitism of the current Spanish government members before the plenary of the IHRA,” Sa’ar adds, warning that “Further decisions will be taken in due course.”