Spain further hardens its stance toward Israel
In March 2026, Spain took a new step in the deterioration of relations with Israel, turning the earlier withdrawal of its ambassador from Tel Aviv into a formal termination of her mandate and lowering diplomatic representation to a lower level. This move is not merely a protocol change or an administrative detail of foreign policy, but a clear signal that Pedro Sánchez’s government no longer wants to maintain the usual form of political communication with the Israeli authorities at a time when the war in Gaza, regional instability, and international disputes over responsibility for civilian casualties continue to spill over into diplomatic relations. In doing so, Madrid is further cementing its position as one of the most outspoken European capitals that take a tougher line toward Israel than most partners in the European Union, and the question now opening up is not only what this move means for bilateral relations, but also whether part of Europe will remain with political condemnations or move toward more concrete forms of pressure.
From temporary recall to a lasting downgrading of relations
According to the decision published on 11 March 2026 in the Spanish official gazette, the mandate of Ambassador Ana María Sálomon Pérez was officially terminated, thereby giving her earlier withdrawal from Tel Aviv a more permanent character. In diplomatic practice, such a move means that a state does not break formal relations, but clearly shows that it currently sees no room for a return to the previous level of political dialogue. Instead of an ambassador, the mission is run at a lower level, through a chargé d’affaires, which sends a signal of dissatisfaction without completely destroying the diplomatic bridge. In Spain’s case, that signal can hardly be read in isolation from everything that has happened since 2023 onward, because the relationship between Madrid and Jerusalem has for some time been marked by public accusations, the calling of ambassadors for consultations, sharp political statements, and an ever greater divergence over the war in Gaza and the Palestinian issue.
As early as September 2025, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled its ambassador from Israel for consultations after a new wave of mutual accusations. That conflict at the time erupted after the government in Madrid presented a series of additional measures directed at Israel, while the Israeli side responded with accusations of antisemitism and further political escalation. The current decision, taken half a year later, shows that the withdrawal was not understood as a short-term tactical response, but as a step toward a longer-term cooling of relations.
How the current crisis came about
The foundation of the current diplomatic crisis was laid during the war in Gaza that followed the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. While a large part of European governments in the first months stressed Israel’s right to self-defense together with calls to respect international humanitarian law, Spain gradually began to take a significantly harder tone. Pedro Sánchez’s government emphasized that Israel’s response could not be viewed outside the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and increasingly insisted on a ceasefire, the protection of civilians, freer access for humanitarian aid, and the restoration of a political process that would lead toward a two-state solution.
The turning point came in May 2024, when Spain, Norway, and Ireland announced, and then formally carried out, the recognition of the Palestinian state. Madrid presented this move as a contribution to peace and to preserving the two-state solution, explaining that Palestinian statehood cannot be constantly postponed until some future ideal moment that never arrives. Israel responded very sharply, recalling its ambassadors from those countries and accusing them of rewarding terrorism and undermining the possibility of negotiations. In this way, the bilateral dispute grew into a broader European and international controversy over whether recognizing Palestine helps peace or further deepens political trenches.
Shortly afterward, Madrid made another legally and politically sensitive move. At the end of June 2024, Spain filed a declaration of intervention in proceedings before the International Court of Justice in the case brought by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention. The Spanish government claimed that its goal was the defense of international law and the protection of civilians, while the Israeli side rejected such a decision as politically motivated and hostile. From that moment, it was clear that Madrid did not want to remain only at verbal warnings, but was seeking through international institutions to intensify political and legal pressure.
The 2025 measures further changed the tone
A new major escalation followed in September 2025, when Pedro Sánchez announced a package of nine measures that he described as a response to the situation in Gaza. Among the most important moves were the legal strengthening of the arms embargo against Israel, a ban on passage through Spanish ports for ships carrying fuel intended for the Israeli armed forces, and a ban on entry into Spanish airspace for certain state aircraft transporting defense material for Israel. In addition, Madrid also announced entry bans on individuals it claims are directly linked to serious rights violations and war crimes in Gaza, as well as additional humanitarian and political support measures for the Palestinian population.
That package was important for at least two reasons. First, it showed that Spain no longer wants to remain within the framework of symbolic condemnations, but is ready to use instruments of state policy that can have practical consequences. Second, Madrid thereby tried to establish its own pattern of a European response: not to sever relations completely, but to combine diplomatic pressure, legal mechanisms, and restrictive measures. The Israeli reaction was intense. Spain’s statements and moves were judged unacceptable, accusations of antisemitism followed, and a new exchange of insults further confirmed that the bilateral relationship had entered its worst phase in the recent period.
What Madrid actually wants to achieve
The Spanish government publicly explains its policy toward Israel and Palestine through several constant points. The first is the defense of international humanitarian law and the insistence that war cannot be conducted without political and legal responsibility for civilian casualties. The second is the preservation of the two-state solution, which Madrid considers increasingly endangered because of the continuation of the war, the expansion of settlements, and the weakening of every serious peace process. The third is an attempt to move the boundary of acceptable political speech within the European Union, that is, so that criticism of Israeli military and occupation policy does not remain limited to diplomatic phrases without concrete consequences.
Such a strategy simultaneously has both a foreign-policy and a domestic-political dimension. At the European level, Sánchez has profiled himself as one of the leaders who wants to link foreign policy more strongly with the language of human rights and international law. In the domestic political arena, his government is also counting on the support of part of the electorate and coalition partners who expect a more pronounced pro-Palestinian and anti-occupation position. Still, reducing the entire shift only to domestic politics would be an oversimplification. The available official moves by Madrid show that this is a systematically built policy that has lasted for almost two years and that developed step by step, from stronger verbal condemnations to measures with legal and diplomatic effect.
The Israeli view: accusations, mistrust, and rejection of the Spanish approach
The Israeli authorities have for some time rejected the Spanish approach as one-sided, politically motivated, and harmful to any possibility of serious dialogue. Israeli officials argued that Madrid ignores the security context after the Hamas attack, underestimates Israeli security threats, and uses extremely harsh characterizations that only further radicalize the debate. A particularly sensitive issue for the Israeli side was the Spanish use of terms such as genocide in political speech, as well as participation in proceedings before international courts. Israeli institutions and politicians repeatedly emphasized that such rhetoric is not a contribution to peace, but an attempt at the political delegitimization of Israel.
Precisely for that reason, the current lowering of the diplomatic level is unlikely to bring Madrid any quick bilateral shift. On the contrary, it is more realistic to expect a continuation of cold relations, occasional sharp public exchanges, and the maintenance of minimal working communication where that is necessary. Diplomacy in such cases does not disappear, but moves into a narrower, technical, and crisis format. This means that channels remain open for consular matters, security situations, and international coordination, but political trust remains seriously damaged.
Can Spain pull part of Europe along with it
One of the key questions is whether the Spanish example will remain an exception or an announcement of a broader change within Europe. Even after months of conflict, humanitarian warnings, and political divisions, the European Union has not developed a unified and equally tough approach toward Israel. While some member states openly advocate recognition of Palestine, stricter measures toward settlements, or more decisive legal steps, others remain of the view that a solution can be sought only through negotiations and that unilateral moves further complicate an already fragile situation. Precisely because of this, Madrid currently acts more as the leader of a smaller bloc of states than as the voice of the entire European center.
Still, Spanish moves have political weight even when they do not produce immediate unity. The recognition of Palestine in 2024 alone already opened space for other European governments to face the question of how long they can remain with a more cautious formula without greater political risk. Slovenia soon afterward also recognized the Palestinian state, which showed that the European space is indeed shifting, albeit unevenly and without a common rhythm. In that sense, today’s lowering of the diplomatic level toward Israel is not only a bilateral message but also a kind of test for the rest of Europe: will dissatisfaction with the situation in Gaza be translated into real state decisions or will it remain at the level of declarations.
A diplomatic signal that goes beyond the bilateral dispute
The formal end of the mandate of the Spanish ambassador to Israel is not the same as a break in relations, but it is a message that Madrid has consciously chosen a longer-lasting cooling as an instrument of political pressure. In international relations, such moves are carefully calibrated precisely because they carry a strong symbolic charge: they are serious enough that the other side cannot ignore them, yet they still leave room for a future recovery of relations if the political circumstances change. Spain has evidently assessed that at the present moment the cost of maintaining the usual diplomatic format outweighs the benefit it would gain from it.
That is why this case goes beyond the relationship between Madrid and Jerusalem itself. It speaks of a deeper change within part of European politics, in which the question of Gaza is no longer only a humanitarian or security issue, but also a test of the credibility of European governments when it comes to international law, sanctions, arms exports, recognition of Palestine, and the limits of political tolerance toward allies. With this move, Spain has signaled that it does not want to maintain the old diplomatic pattern while the war continues and while accusations of serious rights violations multiply. Whether that signal will remain a solitary gesture or the beginning of a broader European change is still not clear at the moment, but it is certain that Madrid has raised the bar of political pressure far above the level of symbolic criticism.
Sources:- Boletín Oficial del Estado – publication of 11 March 2026 on the termination of the mandate of Ana María Sálomon Pérez as Spain’s ambassador to Israel- La Moncloa – announcement of nine measures by the Spanish government against Israel from September 2025, including an arms embargo and additional restrictions- La Moncloa – summary of the Council of Ministers’ decisions on measures against Israel and support for the Palestinian population- La Moncloa – Pedro Sánchez’s institutional statement on the recognition of the Palestinian state on 28 May 2024- La Moncloa – Spanish announcement on intervention in proceedings before the International Court of Justice in the case related to Gaza- Associated Press – overview of the significance of the recognition of the Palestinian state by Spain, Ireland, and Norway and of Israel’s reactions- Associated Press – report on Spain’s decision to join proceedings before the International Court of Justice- Government of Slovenia – confirmation of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine after Slovenia’s recognition- Associated Press – report on the new Spanish-Israeli diplomatic clash in September 2025
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