Spanish prime minister on Israel: 'We don’t trade with a genocidal state'
During a session of Spain’s Parliament on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez referred to Israel as “a genocidal state.”
Prime Minister Sánchez made his remarks in response to accusations from a Member of Parliament, Gabriel Rufián.
Criticizing Sánchez, Rufián said that the Spanish government, by trading with Israel, was supporting a state that is committing genocide.
Rather than disagreeing with Rufián’s accusation against Israel, Sánchez indicated that the Spanish government is not trading with this “genocidal state.”
“I’ll clarify one thing, Mr. Rufián,” he said. “We don’t trade with a genocidal state. We don’t. I believe I explained from this platform the other day what we’re talking about, when some statements were made that weren’t true.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to Sánchez’s remarks by summoning the Spanish ambassador for a “reprimand meeting.”
“Following the severe remarks made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Ambassador to Israel has been summoned for a reprimand meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem tomorrow,” the statement said.
While this is the first time Spain's top leader has explicitly called Israel a genocidal state, the Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles has made similar claims.
“We cannot ignore what is happening in Gaza, which is a real genocide,” Robles said in an interview last year.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
