Spain's PM to formally ask the EU to cut ties with Israel
On Friday, Pedro Sánchez, alongside the leaders of Ireland and Slovenia, signed a letter requesting that the EU adopt this measure against Netanyahu's government for violating human rights and international law
Paula De las Heras
Madrid
Monday, 20 April 2026, 12:56
Spain will ask the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel on Tuesday. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced this on Sunday during a rally his party (PSOE) held in Huelva in the framework of the Andalusian regional goverrnment election campaign.
"We are going to do it, not because we have anything against the people of Israel. On the contrary, we are friendly nations. But we do not agree with the policies of their government. Anyone who violates international law and, therefore, violates the principles and values of the EU, cannot be a partner of the EU," Sánchez said.
The Foreign Affairs Council, which is meeting in Luxembourg on 21 April, will be the first formal forum to raise the issue. Madrid is not alone: on Friday, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia signed a joint statement, addressing High Representative of Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and urging the EU to assume "its moral and political responsibility" before the violations of international law Benjamin Netanyahu's government has committed.
The three countries express their "deepest concern" over Israeli measures, including the approval of the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks, the "unbearable" situation in Gaza and the rapidly deteriorating situation in the West Bank. They also cite military operations in Lebanon, which they describe as contrary to international law, and attacks on the religious freedom of Christians and Muslims. Israel, they warn, has ignored all calls to halt these actions.
The association agreement includes the obligation to respect human rights. Its suspension falls to the member states and must be adopted by the European Council, not the Commission.
This is not the first time Spain has pushed in this direction. In June 2025, the government requested the immediate suspension of the agreement following the Gaza massacre, but Germany and Italy blocked it. The Commission then limited itself to proposing the exclusion of Israel from the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme - a measure that also failed to secure the necessary majority of 15 countries.
The initiative comes at a time of heightened political pressure. Platform Justice for Palestine has gathered the one million signatures needed to compel the European Commission to consider suspending the agreement.
In April, Netanyahu accused Spain of waging a "diplomatic war" against his country following the Sánchez government's repeated and firm stances.
