Netanyahu effigy blown up in Spanish town festival; Israel summons envoy
Israel accuses Spain’s prime minister of incitement for the ‘antisemitic hatred on display’ during Easter event often referred to as the ‘Burning of Judas’
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Israel said on Saturday it had reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in the country over the blowing up of a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Spanish town last week.
Ties between Jerusalem and Madrid have steadily deteriorated over the past several years as Spain’s government expressed increasing anger against Israel over the war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, with ties further collapsing during the war with Iran.
The 23-foot figure of Netanyahu was packed with 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of gunpowder in El Burgo, a small town near the southern city of Malaga, its Mayor Maria Dolores Narvaez told local television.
The decades-old ceremony took place on Easter Sunday and is often referred to as the “Burning of Judas.”
“The appalling antisemitic hatred on display here is a direct result of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government’s systemic incitement,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X that highlighted a video clip apparently showing the crowd cheering as the effigy was ignited.
A Spanish Foreign Ministry source said in response that “the Spanish government is committed to fighting against antisemitism and any form of hate or discrimination. As such we totally reject any insidious allegation which suggests the contrary.”
The appalling antisemitic hatred on display here is a direct result of @sanchezcastejon government’s systemic incitement.
And even now, the Spanish government remains silent.
The Spanish chargé d’affaires was summoned for a reprimand. pic.twitter.com/2Bguhs7Ce8— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 11, 2026
El Burgo’s Mayor Narvaez said the town has previously used effigies of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the annual event.
During the war with Iran, Spain closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran, a step beyond its previous denial of use of jointly operated military bases.
On Friday, Israel kicked Spain out of the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza. Spain had a permanent presence at the headquarters, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.
Countries that “wage a diplomatic war” against Israel will pay “an immediate price,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement.
Last month, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel. Spain’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Tel Aviv will be led by a charge d’affaires for the foreseeable future.
Israel’s embassy in Spain is also run by a charge d’affaires after Jerusalem in May 2024 recalled its ambassador, Rodica Radian-Gordon, in protest of Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
The Times of Israel Community.