The Spanish government’s decision to recognize an independent Palestinian state in Gaza didn’t surprise anyone in Jerusalem. Although Spain isn’t the only European country to recognize a Palestinian state — Norway and Ireland also officially did on Tuesday — it’s undoubtedly the most significant country in the European Union (EU) leading the firm stance against Israel.
According to Israeli officials familiar with Spain's policy in Europe, "They [Spain] push their anti-Israel agenda and try to lead problematic countries within the EU in every forum of European leaders and ministers. Josep Borrell, as the EU’s senior foreign security policy decision-maker, pushes for sanctions against Israel within the union. Member states that support Israel often tell him that he represents Spain's agenda against Israel and acts contrary to the EU's official stance."
How can a country like Spain, which sees itself as a beacon of liberalism and justice, become anti-Israel? First, Israel and the Palestinians have become a central issue in Spain's internal politics. Spain is experiencing polarization and division, possibly the sharpest in decades, which also manifests in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Tensions peaked in the last 2023 elections when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had to form a coalition with the Sumar far-left party, which is aligned with the Palestinians almost completely.
To maintain his coalition, Sanchez agreed in the following coalition agreement to recognize a Palestinian state. The Spanish, especially in the prime minister's party, justify this by saying it's essential to give hope to the Palestinians, but are in practice bolstering the extremist line of the Sumar party, which Israel officially boycotts.
However, the anti-Israel stance extends beyond the ruling party. For example, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, considered a moderate leftist, unequivocally accused Israel of genocide in Gaza this week.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
(Photo: Borja Puig de la BELLACASA / LA MONCLOA / AFP)
The Spanish Social Rights Minister, Sumar’s Pablo Bustinduy, issued letters to several Spanish companies with significant business ties in Israel, urging them to take steps to ensure their businesses don’t contribute to genocide or human rights violations.
Another minister from Sumar, Sira Rego, posted the common anti-Israel slogan, "From the river to the sea," which denies Israel's right to exist on her X page. On October 7, when the scale of the terrorist attack began to be understood, she posted that Palestinians have the "right to resist occupation." Last week, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Yolanda Diaz, chanted the same anti-Israel slogan in a video.
But the whole of Spain isn’t anti-Israel at this stage. The current coalition may consist of far-left members, but Israel has many friends in the right-wing camp. For example, the President of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso of the country’s conservative party, is considered to be Sanchez’s leading opponent, despite being a regional politician.
Ayuso is a staunch Israel supporter and is expected to have a bright future and the potential to lead the Spanish government. In a theoretical scenario, Spain led by Ayuso could be one of the most pro-Israel countries in Europe.
Ayuso isn’t alone. The leader of the EU parliament’s European Friends of Israel organization is Spaniard Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, who fights for Israel on the European stage and has frequently opposed the Spanish government's decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
What’s more interesting about Spanish politics is that the head of the Friends of Palestine group in the UE parliament is also Spanish — Manuel Pineda, who doesn’t shy away from being photographed with Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists and supporting terrorism.
Meanwhile, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob announced his government would discuss a proposal to recognize a Palestinian on Thursday. At the same time, EU foreign ministers, meeting at a conference in Brussels, held a first “significant discussion” about sanctions against Israel if it doesn’t comply with a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.