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Israel–Spain relations

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Israel-Spain relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Spain

Israel
Spain

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.[1] In addition to both countries being member states of the United Nations, both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean.

History

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Spanish Embassy, Tel Aviv
Spanish prime minister Felipe González meeting Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres in 1986
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin meeting with the Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, 7 November 2017

Spanish policy towards the Middle East was determined by the nature of the Francoist regime, and by post-World War II politics.[2] 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.[3] This outright rejection from the newly created State of Israel towards the Francoist dictatorship was born out of domestic politics and ideological reasons.[4] 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.[5] The hostility between both countries paved the way for Spain's fostering of relations with the unaligned Arab nations[6] (nurturing the narrative of the so-called "traditional Hispano-Arab friendship"),[7] which helped Spain to overcome international isolation. A cornerstone of Arab-Spanish friendship was the non-recognition of Israel.[5] 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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

Following Suárez's resignation in 1981, the new President of the Government of Spain,[12] 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.[13][14]

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, UCD.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17] Samuel Hadas was named Israel Ambassador in Madrid.[18] 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".[19][20]

On December 2, 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.[21] Upon arriving in Israel, Gonz 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.[22]

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.[23]

Israel–Hamas war

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Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the official visit in November 2023.

In October 2023, during the 2023 Israel–Hamas 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.[24] 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.[25]

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.[25] 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".[26][27] 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".[28]

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.[29] 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.[30]

Pro-Palestine protest in Santiago de Compostela, 17 December 2023

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.[31] 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.[32]

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.[33][34] In response to what Israel termed a "shameful statement" by Sanchez, the country recalled its envoy to Madrid.[35][36]

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.[37]

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.[38][39] 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 Spanish Consulate in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem [es] (later threatening to outright close it shall it continue providing services to Palestinians).[40][41][42] 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".[43] Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles deemed what was happening in Gaza to be a "true genocide".[44]

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".[45]

In May 2024, Spain refused permission for a ship carrying arms to Israel to dock at a Spanish port. [46]

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".[47] 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.[48] Likewise, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez urged the rest of the world to stop selling weapons to Israel.[49]

Religious and cultural ties

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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%.[50] 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.[51]

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.[52]

Bilateral trade

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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.[23]

Resident diplomatic missions

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Consulado de España en Jerusalén Archived 2011-11-08 at the Wayback Machine, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación de España (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, p. 299.
  3. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, pp. 303–304.
  4. ^ Hadas 2006.
  5. ^ a b Hadas 2007, p. 46.
  6. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, p. 304.
  7. ^ Portero Rodríguez, Florentino (2008). "Las relaciones hispano-israelíes". Araucaria. Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política y Humanidades. 10 (19): 181. hdl:11441/46016. ISSN 1575-6823.
  8. ^ Hadas 2007, p. 47.
  9. ^ Hadas 1992–1993, pp. 191–206.
  10. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, pp. 299–316.
  11. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, pp. 309–310.
  12. ^ NB: President of the Government of Spain is the official English denomination
  13. ^ Hadas 2007, p. 48.
  14. ^ Bautista Delgado 2009, p. 311.
  15. ^ Herzog, Enrique Mugica (12 January 2010). "Samuel Hadas, embajador de la tradición de Sefarad". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  16. ^ Abu-Tarbush 2003, p. 81.
  17. ^ "Euforia en todo Israel tras el anuncio oficial del reconocimiento español. Él Gobierno lo califica como paso muy importante" (in Spanish). ABC. Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  18. ^ ""Israel Designates Ambassador to Spain" Los Angeles Times, January 27, 1986". Los Angeles Times. 27 January 1986. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  19. ^ Abu-Tarbush 2003, p. 83.
  20. ^ "Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2010-09-22.
  21. ^ Ferziger, Jonathan (December 2, 1991). "Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, making the first visit..." UPI. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Piquer, Isabel (26 February 2000). "España admite a Israel en el grupo europeo de la ONU tras ser presionada por EE UU". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  23. ^ a b "Economic, commercial ties with Spain continue to shine". Archived from the original on 2011-05-02. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  24. ^ "Ione Belarra on X, 'We ask our partner that, as the Government of Spain, we bring Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for war crimes.'". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  25. ^ a b Keeley, Graham. "Spanish politicians who expressed sympathy for Palestine enrage Israel". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  26. ^ "Comunicado del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación". Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  27. ^ Gil, Andrés (16 October 2023). "Exteriores rechaza "tajantemente las falsedades" de Israel tras acusar a "elementos del Gobierno" de alinearse con Hamás". eldiario.es. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  28. ^ Ortiz, Alberto (17 October 2023). "El Gobierno considera el comunicado de Israel un gesto "inamistoso" pero lo da por zanjado". eldiario.es. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Spanish PM proposes talks on the establishment of a Palestinian state". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  30. ^ "Pedro Sánchez On X, 'We have to replace violence with hope.'". X (formerly Twitter) (in English and Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  31. ^ "Israel summons Spanish, Belgian ambassadors following criticism during visit to Rafah". AP News. 2023-11-24. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  32. ^ "Spain denounces 'indiscriminate' Gaza deaths, angering Israel". Reuters. 2023-11-24. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  33. ^ Jones, Sam (2023-11-30). "Spanish prime minister says he doubts Israel is respecting international law". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  34. ^ "'Serious doubt' Israel complying with international law: Spain PM Sanchez". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  35. ^ "Spain PM Sanchez angers Israel with comments on Gaza again". Reuters. 2023-11-30. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  36. ^ Kirby, Paul (2023-11-30). "Israel recalls ambassador in war spat with Spain PM Pedro Sánchez". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  37. ^ Carroll, Rory; Jones, Sam (2024-05-22). "Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognise Palestinian state". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  38. ^ Eichner, Itamar (2024-05-24). "Spanish Deputy Prime Minister chants 'From the river to the sea'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  39. ^ "Israel eleva el tono contra España: "Haremos daño a quien nos haga daño; los días de la Inquisición acabaron"". eldiario.es. 27 May 2024.
  40. ^ Heller, Fernando (27 May 2024). "Madrid furious over 'scandalous' Israeli video comparing flamenco with Hamas killings". Euractiv. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  41. ^ "Israel prohibirá al consulado de España en Jerusalén prestar servicio a los palestinos". eldiario.es. 24 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Israel amenaza a España con cerrar su consulado en Jerusalén si da servicio a los palestinos". Cadena SER. 31 May 2024.
  43. ^ "Albares dice que España no caerá en las provocaciones de Israel". Diario Palentino. 3 June 2024.
  44. ^ "Israel lamenta que Robles haga suyo "el relato falso" de Hamás al hablar de "genocidio"". RTVE (in Spanish). 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  45. ^ "Canada stops arms sales to Israel: Who else has blocked weapons exports?". Al Jazeera.
  46. ^ France-Presse, Agence (2024-05-16). "Spain denies port of call to ship carrying arms to Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  47. ^ González, Miguel (7 October 2024). "Albares califica de "fuera de lugar" la acusación de Israel de que España es un "paraíso" del antisemitismo". El País.
  48. ^ "España convoca al encargado de negocios de la Embajada de Israel por los ataques a posiciones de la ONU en Líbano". Público. 11 October 2024.
  49. ^ "Spain's PM Sanchez urges international community to stop selling weapons to Israel". reuters.com. 11 October 2024.
  50. ^ Sampedro, Javier (4 December 2008). "Sefardíes y moriscos siguen aquí. El 30% de los españoles tiene huella genética de su origen judío o magrebí". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  51. ^ "Zapatero, a un diario israelí: 'Antisemitismo había con Franco'" (in Spanish). El Mundo. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  52. ^ "Visiting Masterpiece from the Prado Museum, Madrid". Archived from the original on 2019-04-07. Retrieved 2011-10-09.

Bibliography

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