Israel–Spain relations

Israel and Spain have maintained diplomatic ties since 1986. Israel has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Tel Aviv, and an honorary consulate in Haifa. There is also a General Consulate in Jerusalem, which serves as a diplomatic mission to the city of Jerusalem (including both West and East Jerusalem), Gaza and the territories of the West Bank. In addition to both countries being member states of the United Nations, both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean.

History

Spanish policy towards the Middle East was determined by the nature of the Francoist regime, and by post-World War II politics. Franco made some overtures towards Israel but short of recognizing the country, not least because the latter's government had no interest in being recognised by such a regime. This outright rejection from the newly created State of Israel towards the Francoist dictatorship was born out of domestic politics and ideological reasons. In 1949, the State of Israel voted against lifting sanctions against Spain in the United Nations General Assembly due to the Francoist regime's sympathy and material support for the Axis Powers. The hostility between both countries paved the way for Spain's fostering of relations with the unaligned Arab nations (nurturing the narrative of the so-called "traditional Hispano-Arab friendship"), which helped Spain to overcome international isolation. A cornerstone of Arab-Spanish friendship was the non-recognition of Israel. In these years, several editions of the antisemitic libel of ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' were published in Spain, finding positive reception as factual truth among the most extreme factions of the regime. Despite the lack of diplomatic ties, the Franco government aided in Jewish emigration from Morocco in the 1960s and, during the Six-Day War in 1967, issued laissez-passer documents to Egyptian Jews, enabling them to emigrate.

The pro-Arab views of the previous Francoist regime had created a stance that was very difficult to overcome even after the transition to democracy. The first Spanish government after Franco's death, headed by Adolfo Suárez, declared that it would not recognize Israel unless it withdrew from the West Bank and allowed the creation of a Palestinian state.

Following Suárez's resignation in 1981, the new president of the government of Spain, Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, seemed inclined to inaugurate relations between Spain and Israel but this had to wait for the next government due to the pro-Arab stance of the foreign minister José Pedro Pérez-Llorca, who argued against recognition due to fears of an oil embargo as reprisal by Arab countries.

Nevertheless, small steps were taken towards rapprochement, including informal contacts by Samuel Hadas, the Israeli representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization based in Madrid. Hadas, a member of the Israeli Labor Party, was responsible for the creation of a Spanish Friends of Israel association and a dialogue group that included several Spanish Socialist Workers Party members of parliament, such as Enrique Múgica Herzog, as well as members of the ruling party, the UCD.

With a view to establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel, President of the Government Felipe González, who had been elected in 1982 on a Socialist platform three years earlier, sent a personal letter to secretary general of the Arab League, Chedli Klibi, on 25 April 1985, advising him of Spain's plans. Following Operation Wooden Leg, the Spanish Government issued a strong condemnation of the attack, putting a temporary hold to the recognition process. Further conversations with ambassadors from Arab states in Madrid followed in January of the next year, advising them of Spain's forthcoming plans. Spain and Israel established diplomatic relations on 17 January 1986. Samuel Hadas was named Israel Ambassador in Madrid. Spain had joined the European Economic Community on 1 January. Soon after, a representative office for the PLO opened in Madrid "as evidence of Spain traditional policy of friendship with the Palestinian people and as an instrument to achieve a lasting, just and global solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict".

On 2 December 1991, Felipe González became the first Spanish head of government to visit Israel, holding, among other things, a meeting with Israeli prime minister Yitzak Shamir which involved the discussion of the situation in the region, bilateral ties between the two nations and about the situation in Europe. In 2000, Spain lifted its veto on Israel's admission to the Western European Group of the United Nations, on a basis of permanent renewal of temporary full membership, ending Israel's administrative limbo, as its membership in the Asian Group had been withheld due to the large majority of Muslim countries in the Asian block opposing.

In October 2011, Spanish crown prince Felipe and his wife, Princess Letizia, arrived in Israel for a two-day state visit to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and meet with local scientists.

Gaza war

In October 2023, during the Gaza war, Spanish Minister of Social Affairs Ione Belarra proclaimed that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be brought before the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes. Spain's Equality Minister, Irene Montero, echoed a similar appeal, citing a recent case involving a Spanish aid worker killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Montero emphasized that Israel's alleged violation of international criminal law and war crimes must face consequences. The departure of the Podemos faction from the ruling Spanish government coalition has not changed their stance but eliminated any consideration including lip service of their demands, as the Left-wing government has been able to stay in power without needing to deal with Podemos.

This prompted the Israeli embassy in Madrid to accuse some of the members within the Spanish government of sympathizing or showing alignment with terrorist groups like ISIS. The Government of Spain issued a counter-communiqué stating that it "categorically" rejected "the falsehoods expressed in the communiqué of the Embassy of Israel about some of its members and does not accept unfounded insinuations about them". Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares also called Israeli ambassador Rodica Radian-Gordon, to show his "displeasure" and to tell her that those words were seen as an "unfriendly gesture".

Shortly before a visit to Israel and the West Bank in late November, Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez informed parliament of his government's intention to collaborate within the European Union and Spain to acknowledge a Palestinian state. During the visit, Sánchez, following a meeting with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, jointly held a press conference at the Rafah border crossing with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, emphasizing the importance of Israel's adherence to international humanitarian law.

The two leaders issued a joint statement denouncing the "unacceptable" indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, asserting that it was time for the international community and the European Union (EU) to officially recognize the State of Palestine, and called for a lasting ceasefire in the war-torn region. Israel criticized both the prime ministers for not holding Hamas fully accountable for what they termed "crimes against humanity". Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen summoned the ambassadors of Belgium and Spain for a stern reprimand, denouncing what he described as "false claims" supporting terrorism.

Following the visit, Sánchez voiced serious doubts about Israel's adherence to international humanitarian law, referencing distressing footage and the increasing number of children casualties. In response to what Israel termed a "shameful statement" by Sanchez, the country recalled its envoy to Madrid.

Relations were further injured in 2024 when Spain, announced their intent to recognize Palestine as an independent state by 28 May 2024, leading Israel to recall Radian-Gordon. Netanyahu denounced the move as support for terrorism.

Spanish second deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz ended a speech with the pro-Palestine lemma from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free on 24 May 2024. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz took offence and proceeded to publish a political attack video on X, interspersing images of Hamas members and flamenco dancers, also pledging to block Palestinians' access to services from the (later threatening to outright close it shall it continue providing services to Palestinians). Albares pointed out that the Consulate has existed since 1853, long before the founding of any State of Israel, and that upon the 1986 establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries, Israel agreed on the recognition and commitment to respecting the "historical status of the Consulate General". Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles deemed what was happening in Gaza to be a "true genocide".

Spain's foreign minister said in January 2024 that arms sales to Israel were now embargoed. However, on Monday, online newspaper '' eldiario.es'' reported that Spain had exported ammunition to Israel in November. Spain's Secretary of State for Trade explained that the "material was for tests or demonstrations" and "corresponds to licences granted before 7 October".

In May 2024, Spain refused permission for a ship carrying arms to Israel to dock at a Spanish port. On the same month, Vox leader Santiago Abascal met Netanyahu amid Spanish Government recognition of Palestine.

In October 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs chastised Spain for having "become a haven for sowing hatred and inciting the destruction of Israel". Also in that month, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL positions in Naqoura, southern Lebanon (summoning the Israeli charge d'affaires in Spain), and demanded Israel to comply with its obligations under International humanitarian law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. Likewise, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez urged the rest of the world to stop selling weapons to Israel.

In February 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that some Palestinians from Gaza should immigrate to Spain. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected Katz's proposal, saying that "Gaza is the land of the people of Gaza" and should be part of a future Palestinian state.

On 21 May 2025, the Catalan government announced the immediate closure of the Tel Aviv office, operated by ACCIÓ, its trade and investment agency. This decision was made in protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have resulted in significant civilian casualties.

Religious and cultural ties

Many Israelis are Sephardi Jews, culturally associated with the Iberian Peninsula from where Jews were expelled in the late-fifteenth century. Many Israelis are also of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish extraction from before the expulsion of Jews from the Iberian peninsula. Some Israelis live in Spain today, and there is also a small contemporary Spanish Jewish community. Many Spanish people are also of converso or marrano origin, with a recent study estimating the figure to be as high as 20%. An Israeli newspaper, Maariv, noted that José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has said that his family is of Jewish descent, probably from a family of Marranos.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic and cultural relations between Spain and Israel, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid loaned a painting by El Greco to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. A special evening was held in the presence of Yitzhak Navon, the fifth President of the State of Israel and Alvaro Iranzo Gutierrez, ambassador of Spain in Israel.

Bilateral trade

Spanish apparel retailer Zara opened their first store in 1997 in Tel Aviv. As of 2020, Zara has 25 branches in the country.

In 2010, bilateral trade totalled 1.69 billion euros, with 853 million euros of Israeli exports to Spain and 836 million euros of Spanish imports to Israel. In 2011, José Ranero, the economic and commercial advisor at the Spanish Embassy, said he looked forward to more joint projects, especially in technology.

Resident diplomatic missions

* Israel has an embassy in Madrid.
* Spain has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Jerusalem.

See also

* International recognition of Israel
* Israel–European Union relations
* Palestine–Spain relations

References

Bibliography

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*Setton, Guy (2016), ''Spanish-Israeli Relations, 1956-1992: Ghosts of the Past and Contemporary Challenges in the Middle East''. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-84519-756-8

External links

Israeli embassy in Madrid


Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Israel


Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv

{{DEFAULTSORT:Israel-Spain Relations

Spain
Bilateral relations of Spain
Jewish Spanish history