Spain's Foreign Ministry summoned the chargé d'affaires of Israel's embassy in Madrid for a formal reprimand over the weekend after the embassy criticized Sánchez for once again describing Israel as a "genocidal state."
This latest diplomatic spat is part of an unprecedented anti-Israel campaign Sánchez has spearheaded in recent months. In May, he was an honored guest at the Arab League summit in Baghdad, where he joined the chorus of condemnation against Israel. In April, he canceled Israeli arms deals worth hundreds of millions of euros, called for Israel to be disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest, and led a failed effort to suspend Israel's trade agreements with the European Union. These moves came under pressure from far-left parties Sumar and Podemos, whose continued support is essential to Sánchez's minority government and who have conditioned that support on escalating hostility toward Israel.
Sánchez is navigating a turbulent period, with his hold on power increasingly tenuous. The crisis began with a corruption scandal involving a party insider, adding to earlier scandals implicating his wife and brother. At one point, ministers in his government even spread baseless claims about a police officer plotting an assassination attempt against him. At a NATO summit, Spain was the only country to refuse to comply with the alliance's new budgetary demands, again due to pressure from left-wing factions. US President Donald Trump warned that "Spain will pay double" and threatened sanctions.
Sánchez's abrupt anti-Israel pivot, as he had previously made few comments on the subject, can be explained by the influence of his coalition partners. His government is entirely dependent on the far-left: Sumar, whose former deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz declared that "Palestine will be free from the river to the sea," and Podemos, which last year conditioned its budget support on severing all ties with Israel. In a cynical political maneuver, Podemos bundled a party vote on cutting ties with Israel with a promise to reduce housing costs by 40%, winning 89% support. The anti-Israel obsession of Sánchez's partners has become a political bargaining chip, and he appears willing to pay any diplomatic price to stay in office. This hostile policy is likely to persist until the next elections in 2027, unless Sánchez is ousted earlier due to corruption scandals or escalating conflicts with the US and Europe.
But does the government's stance reflect public opinion in Barcelona and Madrid? Is hatred of Israel as widespread as in Ireland or as mainstream as in parts of Norway?
The Catalonian boycott
In late May, Barcelona's city council voted to sever ties with Israel. Just days earlier, the city's main university cut ties as well, sending an official email to 30,000 students declaring Israel guilty of genocide. For the city's Jewish residents, the hostile climate comes as no surprise. "We see posters all over the city saying 'Zionists not welcome here,'" said Flor Silverman, 23, deputy chair of the Jewish Student Union of Spain. "One student had to transfer universities because he was openly a Zionist Jew and received threats. People here don't wear Stars of David or kippot on the streets. Our events require major security, which often leads to cancellations due to logistical and financial burdens."
Silverman noted that the lack of historical awareness exacerbates the situation. "Spain wasn't involved in the Holocaust, so there's little awareness of what antisemitism can lead to. And the Inquisition happened long ago. Many people here are kind and friendly, but they're used to hating Israel."
She described the fear within the community. "Last year we held an October 7 memorial in Barcelona. I asked several students to share their experiences with antisemitism. None agreed to have their faces shown in the media, they didn't want people to know they were Jewish." She added, "We know of a professor at a Madrid university who has a flag in his office resembling the Israeli flag, but with a swastika instead of a Star of David. Jews my age are asking serious questions about our future here."
"Antisemitism in Spain is deeply rooted, especially in academia and on the political left," explained Ángel Mas, president of ACOM, an organization that combats antisemitism. "There is widespread ignorance about the Middle East. The Jewish community is small, keeps a low profile, and lacks influential public figures. We are an easy target for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who pays no price for attacking Israel. He lashes out at Israel to create a smokescreen around the corruption scandals plaguing him. He understands that attacking Israel serves his political interests and helps him survive in office. It generates noise, diverts attention from corruption, and earns him favor with certain European and Arab nations he hopes will invest in Spain."
Under siege
Practically speaking, the small Jewish communities in Madrid and Barcelona find themselves trapped in a political battle that is fueling centuries-old hatred. Since the war in Gaza began, the community has experienced a sharp rise in antisemitism, driven not only by political rhetoric but also by a media climate that amplifies hostility. Both the left-leaning El País and the center-right El Mundo have relentlessly attacked Israel.
"What's happening in Spain in recent weeks is a tsunami," said Elías Levy, editor of the Jewish publication Enfoque Judío. "The anti-Israel atmosphere has existed for over a year, but recently there's been a dramatic deterioration. The prime minister's claim that Israel is a 'genocidal state' has been adopted by many in the media, and most journalists and commentators in Spain now use that term freely, except for a few right-wing outlets. Even mainstream media that previously avoided such language have begun using it, often comparing Israel to the Nazi regime. In this environment, it's no surprise that Israel is viewed so negatively, 75% of Spaniards hold an unfavorable view of the country." He added that Spain recently hosted a summit dubbed "Madrid Plus," where the Spanish foreign minister declared, "Israel started the war and must end it" - a clear indication of the Sánchez government's stance.
According to Levy, the extreme rhetoric serves dual political purposes. "Domestically, it attracts far-left voters. Internationally, it's part of a government effort to position Spain as a leader among Arab states that support the Palestinians. But within the EU, other leaders view Sánchez as too extreme. Opposition commentators say it's all a distraction from the corruption scandals surrounding his government. Israel has become a convenient punching bag because Sánchez knows it comes at little cost. Don't underestimate his political cunning - he's managed to climb the ranks despite numerous obstacles. He may even be eyeing an international role at the UN or the Global South bloc, where Arab nations would back him, since he's not seen as a desirable candidate in Europe."
Pockets of support remain
Despite the political climate, unlike countries such as Ireland or Norway where opposition to Israel is nearly universal, Spain still has a significant base of support.
"Pedro Sánchez leads an extremist left-wing government propped up by the political arm of the former Basque terrorist group ETA and other antisemitic fringe parties," said Carlos Díaz Pache, a member of the Madrid regional parliament from the center-right People's Party (PP), Spain's largest opposition party.
"Sánchez is abandoning Spain's traditional alliances - with the US, opposition to dictatorships, and friendship with Israel. The war Israel is fighting is a struggle between Islamic barbarism and the civilization we've all built. Israel is the bulwark separating us from a terrorist culture that seeks to destroy us, that respects neither freedom, democracy, women, nor gays, and is based on subjugating all peoples."
Díaz Pache added: "Spain's Minister of Youth and Children justified the October 7 massacre by saying 'Palestinians have a right to resist.' My support for Israel comes at a cost, I face criticism and insults, but a government led by the PP would never disgrace a friendly nation in this way." Support for Israel also comes from other prominent figures in Madrid: Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida (PP) called for the hostages' release, and Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP), considered a leading candidate for the 2027 election, is an unwavering supporter of Israel.
Additional backing comes from the far-right Vox party. Recently, Israel decided that despite Vox's far-right roots, it is a party that combats antisemitism and supports Israel, and therefore established official ties. "Sánchez wasn't anti-Israel seven years ago, but his alliance with the far-left dictates his positions," said Hermann Tertsch, Vox's representative in the European Parliament. "Despite Spain's large Muslim immigrant population, we haven't seen massive anti-Israel protests like in other European cities. Look at the support Israel received at Eurovision - not everyone here is against you."
Tertsch concluded: "Sánchez wants to be the global leader of the anti-Israel camp to gain international prestige. He's hurting his own country and doesn't care, there are corruption scandals, no budget, and serious internal problems. He needs the conflict with Israel to survive politically. But he's become so disliked that many Spaniards say: If Sánchez is against someone, that person is probably on the right side."
