The World Champion: How Spain Defied Western Consensus in Support of Gaza

While the world celebrates Spain as the 2026 FIFA World Cup Champions, the Southern European country is widely lauded for another reason: standing up for human dignity and supporting the people of Gaza.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Spain has been Europe’s most vocal critic of Israel, taking bold diplomatic actions to condemn Israeli violations of international law and advocate for the rights of the Palestinians.

Marching to a Different Beat

Catch Up Quick: The night of October 7, 2023 was a turning point for the Middle East and the wider region. The Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel rushed to declare the state of war, launching heavy airstrikes in Gaza on October 8, followed by a total siege of the Strip and a ground invasion to “eradicate Hamas” and return the hostages.

The Pivot: While Spain initially joined other Western countries in condemning Hamas’ attack and recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense, Madrid’s position soon changed in light of the heinous Israeli crimes and internal coalition pressures.

Visiting the Rafah border crossing in November 2023 alongside Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reiterated the urgent need to end the region’s most serious humanitarian crisis. He condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza, including thousands of children, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the large-scale, uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Moreover, he called for an international peace conference, with the participation of Palestine and Israel and with the support of the international community.

What He Said: “Violence will only lead to more violence. We have to replace violence with hope,” Sanchez said.

Arms Embargo

As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate amid brutal Israeli military operations, Spain escalated its diplomatic pressure on Israel.

The Context: In January 2024, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that Spain had suspended arms sales to Israel since October 7. In May of that year, Madrid announced that it would ban ships carrying weapons to Israel from docking at Spanish ports.

Why It Matters: The Spanish government went further to consolidate this move, introducing a law formalizing the de facto prohibition on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel, and a ban on the use of Spanish ports and airspace to transport fuel or weapons to the Israeli military. The Spanish parliament voted in favor of the law in October 2025.

“What (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu presented in October 2023 as a military operation in response to the horrific terrorist attacks has ended up becoming a new wave of illegal occupations and an unjustifiable attack against the Palestinian civilian population – an attack that the UN special rapporteur and the majority of experts already describe as a genocide,” Sanchez said.

The Bold Move

Despite Israel’s furious reaction, Spain remained adamant in its stance on Gaza. This materialized in Spain’s official recognition of the State of Palestine on May 28, 2024. The historic move was made along with Ireland and Norway, envisioning a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez described the decision as “an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace.” The three countries hoped that this move would encourage other European countries to follow suit and mobilize diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the war in Gaza.

Between the Lines: The recognition sparked Israel’s anger, prompting it to accuse the three European countries of “rewarding terrorism” and withdraw its ambassadors. But Spain seemed to be in Israel’s bull’s-eye, with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posting videos on social media mocking Spain’s decision and launching personal attacks against Spanish ministers.

Diplomatic Escalation

What They’re Saying: Spanish government officials launched scathing criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza. In May 2024, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles described the conflict in Gaza as a “real genocide” during an interview with TVE state television.

Her remarks echoed those of Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz who also described the Gaza conflict as a genocide and called publicly for Palestinians to be “free from the river to the sea.”

Why It Matters: Madrid also pursued legal actions to ramp up pressure on Israel, formally applying to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in June 2024.

“Our sole goal is to put an end to the war (in Gaza) and to advance on the road of applying the two-state solution,” Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said.

In early 2026, diplomatic friction further intensified between Madrid and Tel Aviv over Spain’s vocal opposition to regional military escalations. As the rift escalated, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel Ana Maria Salomon Perez in March 2026, six months after recalling her for consultations.

Reality Check: According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Israeli war on Gaza has killed more than 73,200 Palestinians and wounded nearly 174,000 others, despite a ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025 to end the war.

Spanish Soft Power

Zoom In: Beyond politics, Spain’s support for Gaza and Palestinians has made its way to Hollywood. World-renowned Spanish actors, such as Javier Bardem, Alba Flores, Luis Tosar, and Juan Diego Botto, have been vocal in their support for Gaza and Palestine.

Spanish artists have spoken against the Israeli war in Gaza and wore badges supporting Palestine in several prestigious events, including the Oscars, the Emmy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Goya Awards.

Furthermore, a group of prominent Spanish artists launched a major campaign calling on the government to sever all relations with Israel over the conflict in Gaza.

Additionally, Spanish artists and intellectuals rallied support behind Gaza, signing manifestos and petitions calling for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors. Titled “Neither terrorism nor genocide” and “Against the massacre in Gaza,” the petitions collected over 12,000 signatures from intellectuals and artists globally.

Javier Bardem sends a message to Paramount after the studio condemned the 3,900 artists who signed a pledge not to work with Israeli film companies "complicit in war crimes."

"Film Workers for Palestine do not target any individuals based on identity. The targets are those film… pic.twitter.com/ppFToKzCkG

— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2025

These positions align with the government’s official stance. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also called for Israel’s exclusion from international cultural events such as the Eurovision song contest over its military campaign in Gaza.

Football pitches have also served as a prominent platform for solidarity with Gaza. Spanish football star Lamine Yamal is one of the vocal supporters of Gaza and Palestine. The 18-year-old football player waved a large Palestinian flag during FC Barcelona’s celebration of their La Liga championship.

The Underlying Dynamics

Smart Take: The bold position of the Spanish government is driven by internal politics and deep historical roots. Sanchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) is supported by the Sumar platform – a coalition of more than a dozen left-leaning groups led by Yolanda Díaz. His majority parliamentary group also includes Podemos as well as Basque and Catalan separatist parties. All these parties support the Palestinian resistance against Israel, and all struggles for decolonization.

Moreover, Spain was the last European country to officially recognize Israel in 1986 amid negotiations to join the European Economic Community (EEC). The Southern European country also shares historical ties to the Arab world, dating back to Al-Andalus and its international isolation post-World War II.

By the Numbers:

According to a study by Elcano Royal Institute in May 2024:

• 78% of Spain’s population support the recognition of a Palestinian State.
• 60% view the two-state solution as the viable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
• 50% blame Israel for the situation in Gaza.
• 44% blame Israel for the persistence of the conflict.