Statement on comments made by Israeli Prime Minister's Office

Regarding the false and slanderous comments made by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office about Spain, the Spanish Government reiterates that we immediately condemned the atrocious attack committed on 7 October by the terrorist group Hamas and have demanded the unconditional release of all hostages from day one. This same Government took the decision to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and approved the first National Plan against Antisemitism in 2023. Spain rejects any form of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia or intolerance and has welcomed 72,000 Sephardic Jews as fellow countrymen in recent years as a result of specific legislation for them.

With the same determination, Spain calls for an immediate end to the endless violence in Gaza, the constant attacks on the civilian population, the immediate entry of all humanitarian aid currently blocked by the Israeli Government and respect for the most basic human rights of the Palestinian population and international humanitarian law.

Spain defends the existence of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in good neighbourliness and with reciprocal guarantees for their peace and security, as the only path to peace.

Spain will continue to support the work of the international courts to clarify what has been happening in Gaza since 2023, both in terms of the investigation by the International Criminal Court into crimes against humanity committed by several Israeli leaders and the proceedings before the International Court of Justice against the State of Israel under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.