Israel accuses Pedro Sánchez of leading an "anti-Israeli crusade."

BARCELONAIf this Wednesday it was Donald Trump who, without explicitly mentioning him, put the president of the Spanish government in the spotlight For refusing to raise NATO contributions to 5% of GDP, it was Benjamin Netanyahu's government that harshly criticized Pedro Sánchez once again this Thursday. The reason was the Socialist leader's request during the European Council meeting, taking place today and tomorrow in Brussels, for the European Union to suspend the association agreement with Israel due to the "genocide" in Gaza. From Tel Aviv, Sánchez has been accused of leading "an anti-Israeli crusade" and of being "on the wrong side of history."

Pedro Sánchez has thus become not only another of Benjamin Netanyahu's targets, but also the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as "genocide." His words practically coincided with statements by rescue teams from the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, who claim that Israeli forces have killed 56 people in the last few hours, many of whom were searching for food.

"It makes absolutely no sense that we have approved 18 sanctions packages against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine and Europe, and yet, with a double standard, we have not even been able to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel, when it is being breached," he said before entering the European Council meeting. Sánchez added that he would push for the EU to "immediately" suspend this agreement during Thursday's meeting, although his position - which requires unanimity - will almost certainly not be listened to.

Article 2 of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel, invoked by the Spanish Prime Minister, establishes that respect for human rights and democratic principles constitutes an "essential element" of the pact.

Spain and Ireland were the first countries to urge the EU to review the agreement in February 2024. However, the blog only agreed to revise it after a Dutch initiative last May. This Monday, the foreign ministers met to analyze the results of the review. which indicated "signs" that Israel had failed to meet its obligations on human rights in Gaza. After the meeting, European Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas ruled out, for now, suspending the agreement. "Our main objective is to change the situation on the ground," she said. "If the situation doesn't improve, then we can discuss additional measures and resume the debate in July."

This is not the first time that Madrid and Tel Aviv have clashed head-on since the start of the Gaza war. Benjamin Netanyahu's government summoned the Spanish ambassador in mid-May due to some "harsh statements" by Pedro Sánchez. Specifically, when the head of the Spanish government said, in a response to Republican Gabriel Rufián, that his government does not trade "with a genocidal state," referring to the cancellation of contracts for the supply of war material. Following this incident, Netanyahu's government already used the same arguments as on Thursday, according to which Pedro Sánchez is "on the wrong side of history [and] against the Jewish state, which is defending itself against terrorist attacks."