Israel charges against Minister Sira Rego and admonishes Spain for defending a "free Palestine from the river to the sea"

The Government of Israel has summoned this Monday the Chargé d'Affaires of Spain in Tel Aviv, Francisca Pedrós, to convey a "reprimand" for the statements of the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, in defense of a "free Palestine from the river to the sea".

The Spanish representative was received by the director of Political-Strategic Affairs of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gilad Cohen. The meeting was held by order of Minister Gideon Saar, who used Rego's words to once again criticize the entire government of Pedro Sánchez.

"This statement is part of a systematic anti-Israeli policy promoted by the Spanish Government and its president," states the communiqué issued by Foreign Affairs. Benjamin Netanyahu's Executive also accuses Spain of having "lost its moral compass" and of turning Israel into a "punching bag" of its foreign policy.

Rego uttered the phrase last Thursday during an informative breakfast of the Fórum Europa, where she defended that Spain "has not chosen the wrong side" by positioning itself "on the side of human rights and the Palestinian people". The minister cited as examples the recognition of the Palestinian State, the arms embargo, the protests during the Vuelta Ciclista a España and the withdrawal of RTVE from the Eurovision Song Contest.

"The position of Spanish society is clear for a free Palestine from the river to the sea," she affirmed. Rego also called for breaking diplomatic relations with Israel and arresting Netanyahu if he enters Spanish territory to execute the order issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Chargé d'Affaires of Israel in Spain, Dana Erlich, accused the minister of antisemitism that same day and stated that she was "unworthy of representing a democratic country". The Israeli Embassy interpreted the expression as a call to destroy Israel and expel its Jewish population.

Israel Raises Another Diplomatic Clash with Spain

The slogan "from the river to the sea" receives conflicting interpretations. Israel and various Jewish organizations consider it a denial of their right to exist. Within the Palestinian movement, among academics, and in numerous international mobilizations, it is used to demand freedom, equal rights, and self-determination for the population living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.

The Israeli press has largely adopted the framework set by the Netanyahu government. 'The Times of Israel' has reproduced the diplomatic protest and the accusation against Sánchez, while 'Ynet' has gone further by questioning Rego's trajectory and attributing to her having denied the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Pedrós's call comes with relations between both countries reduced to the level of chargés d'affaires. In September 2025, Israel prohibited the entry of Sira Rego and the second vice-president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, in retaliation for measures approved by the Spanish government. Madrid responded by recalling its ambassador for consultations.

Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024 and subsequently hardened its position with an arms embargo and restrictions on the transit of military material destined for Israel. The government has also appeared in the procedure opened by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a possible genocide in Gaza.

For the moment, Sira Rego, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and La Moncloa have not publicly responded to the new admonition. The minister maintains the position expressed during recent months, when she has called for breaking relations with Israel, promoting European sanctions, and arresting Netanyahu to bring him before the International Criminal Court.

The diplomatic protest comes as Israel continues to attack Gaza. More than 74,000 Palestinians have died since October 2023, including more than 20,000 children and adolescents, according to health authorities in the Strip. The Hamas attacks on October 7 left around 1,200 dead in Israel and 250 people kidnapped.