Israel slams Spain's PM after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt major cycling event in Madrid

After France , Israel got embroiled in a diplomatic row with another European nation due to pro-Palestine protests. On Sunday, the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling competition ended prematurely after pro-Palestine demonstrators blocked the race route. The cancellation of the event drew criticism from Israel as well.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of “inciting” the “pro-Palestinian mobs” that had gathered to protest the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team in Spain’s premier multi-stage cycling race.

“The sporting event that had always been a source of pride for Spain was cancelled,” Sa’ar wrote, calling Sánchez and his government “a disgrace to Spain!” The Israeli foreign minister went on to allege that Sánchez had moved to mobilise demonstrators a few days after the Spanish leader “lamented not having an atomic bomb to ‘stop Israel.’”

What was Sa’ar talking about

In his post, the Israeli foreign minister was referring to a speech delivered by the Spanish Prime Minister on September 8 in which Sánchez emphasised Spain’s small stature in the international arena. “Madrid does not have nuclear bombs, nor does it have aircraft carriers or large oil reserves,” the prime minister said at the time, adding that his country therefore “cannot stop the Israeli offensive.”

The statement was part of the Spanish prime minister’s wider plea to the international community to work together to stop the deaths of civilians in Gaza. It is pertinent to note that the tensions between Israel and Spain have been brewing since 2023, when Sánchez became one of the EU’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack.

Last year, Spain recognised Palestinian statehood, and earlier this week, the European nation imposed tough new measures on Israel. One of the sanctions included a permanent weapon embargo .

Following the announcement of the sanctions, Sa’ar accused the Spanish government of being “antisemitic” and using a “hostile anti-Israeli line” to “distract attention from serious corruption scandals.” He went on to ban two members of the Sánchez cabinet from entering Israel, citing their alleged “support for terrorism and violence against Israelis.”