Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is urging the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel, citing international law violations and garnering over a million signatures in support.
Sanchez Calls for EU Action
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that any entity violating international and European law cannot be a partner of the EU, during a pre-election campaign in Andalusia. Regional elections are scheduled for mid-May.
Sánchez announced that Spain will formally propose suspending the association agreement with Israel – in effect since 2000 – during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday, April 21st.
Joint Complaint to EU Diplomacy Chief
In a letter dated April 18th, the foreign ministers of Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland accused Israel of human rights and international law violations, specifically referencing the approval by the Israeli parliament of a law introducing the death penalty for Palestinians.
Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout
Spain has been the most vocal critic of Israeli policy in Europe, and relations have been strained since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Madrid has described Israeli military actions as “genocide,” suspending agreements with Israeli companies for military equipment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Spain of waging a “diplomatic war” against his country, ordering the expulsion of Spanish representatives from the Coordinator Office for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu stated, “Whoever attacks the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes… will not be our partner in building the future of the region,” and vowed to retaliate against what he termed hypocrisy and hostility.
Further Spanish Actions and Criticisms
Earlier in April, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced the immediate reopening of Spain’s embassy in Tehran, which was closed in March following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran. He also criticized Israel for violating the ceasefire and international law through recent attacks on Lebanon.
Spain recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv, Ana Salomon, for consultations in September 2023, and Israel responded by recalling its ambassador from Madrid due to Sánchez’s criticism of actions in the Gaza Strip.
Sánchez also criticized the US and Israeli war in Iran as “illegal,” and closed Spanish airspace to aircraft involved in the attack on Iran, asserting Spain’s sovereignty and refusal to participate in unlawful wars. He also stated that condemning the invasion of Ukraine while supporting attacks on Iran is unacceptable.
European Citizens’ Initiative Gains Momentum
In November of last year, a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) was registered with the European Commission, calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement due to Israel’s human rights violations.
The ECI requires at least one million signatures from EU citizens within 12 months, with minimum thresholds met in at least seven countries based on their representation in the European Parliament.
The one million signature threshold was surpassed last week, with minimum requirements met in 11 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Italy. France and Italy achieved over 750% and 480% of the required signatures, respectively. Poland collected over 126% of the required signatures (almost 50,000), with a minimum threshold of 36,660.
