Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for the European Union to end its Association Agreement with Israel during a pre-campaign rally on Sunday.
"We have nothing against the people of Israel; quite the contrary," Sánchez said, "But a government that violates international law and, therefore, the principles and values of the EU cannot be our partner."
"NO TO WAR," his post on X/Twitter about the event concluded.
Sánchez said that Spain would be formally requesting the termination of the Association Agreement during a meeting of the EU's 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday.
Sa'ar strikes back against Spanish PM
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded to Sánchez on X/Twitter, calling the Spanish Prime Minister "hypocritical" for criticizing Israel while keeping a relationship with Turkey and Venezuela, which he called "totalitarian regimes that violate human rights."
He also commented on Spain having been thanked by Iran's regime and by terrorist organizations, and accused it of dedicating itself to spreading antisemitism.
"We have nothing against the citizens of Spain," Sa'ar said. mimicking Sánchez's wording, "quite the contrary, but against the double standard of the government of Pedro Sánchez."