Relations Between Spain, Israel Get Frostier

Spain just made a diplomatic snub to Israel permanent. Madrid on Tuesday formally ended its ambassador's posting to Israel, confirming that the role is being scrapped and the embassy in Tel Aviv will now be headed indefinitely by a charge d'affaires. The ambassador had been recalled in September after Spain blocked planes and ships carrying weapons to Israel from using its ports and airspace, reports Reuters. Israel's embassy in Madrid is likewise currently led by a charge d'affaires; it summoned its own ambassador back to Israel in May 2024 in response to Spain's recognition of a Palestinian state.

Politico reports "the decision to definitively retire the ambassador is a highly symbolic move that underscores the degradation of ties between the two countries," which it frames as having been positive until 2023. In the years since, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has labeled Israel's Gaza campaign a "genocide" and called the US- and Israel-led attack on Iran "illegitimate."