Spain will recall its ambassador to Israel, Ana María Solomon Pérez, for consultations in Madrid, Reuters reported Monday. The move comes amid a sharp diplomatic rift between the two countries, following Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's announcement of new sanctions against Israel and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's blistering response.
Sánchez said Spain would "increase pressure" on Israel by banning ships and planes carrying weapons to Israel from entering Spanish ports or airspace. He also announced that Spain would expand funding to the Palestinian Authority and to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and impose an embargo on goods produced in Judea and Samaria.
In response, Sa'ar accused Sánchez of trying to divert attention from his own domestic corruption scandals, denouncing the measures as antisemitic. "The Spanish government is leading a hostile anti-Israel line, with wild and hate-filled rhetoric. The attempt by Sánchez's corrupt administration to distract from severe corruption scandals with a continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic campaign is transparent," Sa'ar said.
