Spain summons Israeli diplomat to protest FM's 'liar' comments

Spain summoned Israel's top diplomat on Tuesday for the second time in five days over remarks by Israel's foreign minister that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was antisemitic and a "liar".

Israel's charge d'affaires, Dana Erlich, was called in over "the unacceptable words and positions of the Israeli foreign minister," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israel has not had an ambassador in Spain since the Sanchez government recognised the state of Palestine in 2024.

Spain's leftist government has been one of Europe's most outspoken critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military offensive in Gaza, which has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

Madrid recalled its ambassador to Israel last week after announcing new measures aimed at "ending the genocide in Gaza," further straining relations.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently described Sanchez as "antisemitic" and a "liar" after the Spanish leader expressed admiration for pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted Spain's Vuelta cycling race.

"This morning, the Foreign Ministry will summon the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Spain to protest the unacceptable words and positions of the Israeli Foreign Minister regarding Spain and the Prime Minister," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It will be the second time in less than a week that Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has summoned the envoy to protest against comments by the Israeli government, where Netanyahu accused Sanchez of inciting genocide against Israel.

Cancels major Israel arms deal

This comes as the Spanish government had cancelled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers, according to an official document seen Monday by AFP.

The move comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week that his government would "consolidate in law" a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel over its offensive in Gaza.

The contract, awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies, involved the purchase of 12 SILAM rocket launcher systems derived from the PULS platform made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance.

First reported by local media and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the cancellation was formalised on Spain's official public contracts platform on 9 September.

The following day, Sanchez unveiled measures aimed at stopping what his leftist government called "the genocide in Gaza".

It includes the approval of a decree imposing a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel due to its military offensive in Gaza.

Spain applied the ban as Israel stepped up its military onslaught.

Spain has also formalised the cancellation of another contract for 168 anti-tank missile launchers, which were to be manufactured under license from an Israeli company.

That contract, valued at 287 million euros, had been first reported by the press in June.

According to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, the government is undertaking a broader review to phase out Israeli weapons and technology from its armed forces.