The Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv will be headed by a chargé d’affaires, in the latest sign of friction with Israel over the war against Iran
Spain has decided to withdraw its ambassador from Israel, the Official State Gazette reported this Wednesday.
This comes at a time when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been the most vocal opponent in Europe of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its war against Iran, which it wages alongside the US.
The Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv will be headed by a chargé d’affaires, a Foreign Ministry source told Middle East Eye.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the departure of the ambassador from Tel Aviv, who was recalled for consultations ‘indefinitely’, leaving the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv under the leadership of a chargé d’affaires, at the same level as the Israeli embassy in Madrid,” the source told MEE.
This measure is the latest sign of a deepening diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Israel, which has intensified since Israel committed genocide in Gaza in October 2023.
Spain has been one of the few European governments to consistently condemn Israel’s conduct of the war and classify it as genocide, and in 2025 banned ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from using Spanish ports or airspace.
Spain also recognized a Palestinian state in 2024, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador to Madrid. Relations deteriorated further after Spain’s ambassador to Israel was initially recalled for consultations in September 2025, amid disputes over Madrid’s restrictions on sending weapons linked to the genocide.
In January, the prime minister also refused to join US President Donald Trump’s Peace Council plan to manage Gaza, denouncing it as a violation of international law and rejecting the exclusion of the Palestinian Authority.
Tensions have risen again in recent weeks over the US-Israeli war against Iran, with Sánchez strongly criticizing the military campaign as illegal and refusing to allow the US to use joint military bases in southern Spain for operations linked to attacks against Iran.
The decision triggered a public confrontation with Trump, who accused Spain of being “hostile” and threatened to cut off trade with the country after Madrid denied Washington access to the bases.
In a televised address earlier this month, Sánchez defended Spain’s position, summing it up in three words: “No to war.”
“One illegality cannot be combatted with another, because that is how the great disasters of humanity begin,” he said in his March 4 speech in response to Trump.
“Very often, major wars break out due to a series of events that spiral out of control, caused by miscalculations, technical failures, or unforeseen circumstances.”
“Therefore, we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people.”
“Spain defends the founding principles of the European Union. It defends the Charter of the United Nations. It defends international law and, therefore, peace and peaceful coexistence between countries,” said Sánchez.
Originally published by Middle East Eye on 03/11/2026
For Sondos Asem
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/03/11/espanha-decide-retirar-embaixador-de-israel/
