Spain Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called for Israel to be barred from international sporting competitions for as long as its military campaign in Gaza continues, accusing the country of using high-profile events to “whitewash” its actions.
His remarks came a day after pro-Palestinian protests brought the Vuelta a España cycling race to an abrupt halt in Madrid, following clashes between demonstrators and police. Sánchez expressed “deep admiration” for those who had protested peacefully against the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team.
The prime minister, who has faced fierce criticism from political opponents for his comments, said Sunday’s events should prompt a wider debate on Israel’s inclusion in major sporting events. “It’s already happening in some parts of the world,” he said on Monday. “As long as the barbarism continues, Israel cannot use any international platform to whitewash its presence. Sports organisations need to ask themselves whether it is ethical for Israel to keep taking part in international competitions.”
Sánchez has previously accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and has questioned what he describes as the international community’s “double standards” over Ukraine and Gaza. In May, he called for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest, a position echoed by Spain’s culture minister.
Although Israel-Premier Tech is a private team, its presence in the Vuelta prompted a series of demonstrations. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the team for “not giving in to hate and intimidation” and said it had made Israel proud.
Sunday’s rally in Madrid drew an estimated 100,000 people. The Spanish government reported that 22 police officers were injured in clashes and two people were arrested. Earlier in the day, Sánchez had praised both the cyclists and “a Spanish society that mobilises against injustice and defends its ideas in a peaceful manner”.
Opposition leaders accused the prime minister of encouraging unrest. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative People’s Party (PP), said Sánchez was “proud of the behaviour of those few people who showed their support for Gaza by throwing barriers at Policía Nacional officers”, calling the race’s premature end “an international embarrassment”. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, PP president of the Madrid region, said Sánchez was “directly responsible for every incident that occurs” when he encouraged a boycott of the race.
The Israeli government condemned Sánchez’s stance as a “continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic attack”. Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said the prime minister’s “incitement messages” had led to the disruption of the Vuelta, describing the outcome as “a disgrace to Spain”.
Tensions between Madrid and Tel Aviv escalated last week when Israel announced that two senior left-wing members of Sánchez’s cabinet, deputy prime minister and labour minister Yolanda Díaz, and youth minister Sira Rego, would be barred from entering the country over their criticism of its actions in Gaza.
A July poll by the Elcano Royal Institute found that 82% of Spaniards believe Israel is committing genocide, and 70% support EU sanctions against the country. While some in the PP reject the genocide accusation, Feijóo has also criticised Netanyahu’s response to the 7 October Hamas attacks, saying the killing of Israeli civilians “cannot be answered with more Palestinian civilian losses”.
