Spain Summons Israeli Envoy Over Flotilla Arrests
Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. Photo Credit: Spanish Foreign Ministry
By EurActiv
By Inés Fernández-Pontes
(EurActiv) — Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid on Thursday after the arrest of Spanish nationals aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla the previous night.
Speaking on national television, Albares demanded the “immediate release” of the the dozens of Spaniards detained by Israel.
“They posed no threat and had no intention of harassing anyone or carrying out any kind of illegal action. They should not be charged with anything at all,” he said.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed the call upon arriving at the European Political Community summit meeting in Copenhagen on Tuesday. “Spain will guarantee diplomatic protection and the rights of its members,” he said, stressing that his government would “now consider any type of action” against Israel.
The episode comes amid escalating tensions between Madrid and Tel Aviv, after Spain imposed a full arms embargo on Israel in early September to “stop the genocide in Gaza.” Spain and Italy dispatched naval vessels last week to provide cover for the flotilla and assist in potential rescue operations.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles, however, warned that Spanish ships were barred from entering the Israeli-declared “exclusion zone” off Gaza, urging those on board to avoid “dangerous waters.”
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