MADRID – Israel has formally reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during a traditional ceremony in a southern Spanish town.
The seven-meter (23-foot) effigy, stuffed with 14 kilograms (31 lb) of gunpowder, was detonated on April 5 in El Burgo, a small town near Málaga, as part of a decades-old local custom. The mayor of El Burgo, Maria Dolores Narváez, confirmed the details to local television.
In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the act as “appalling antisemitic hatred” and directly linked it to what it called “systemic incitement” by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.
“The appalling antisemitic hatred on display here is a direct result of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government’s systemic incitement,” the statement read, accompanied by a video clip of the explosion.
Spain swiftly rejected the accusation. A source from the Spanish Foreign Ministry stated:
“The Spanish government is committed to fighting against antisemitism and any form of hate or discrimination. As such, we totally reject any insidious allegation which suggests the contrary.”
Context of the Tradition
The mayor explained that the town has previously burned effigies of other world leaders during the same annual event, including former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions
The incident comes amid a prolonged diplomatic rift between Spain and Israel that began with the Gaza war and has since intensified. Spain has been one of the most vocal critics in Europe of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Spain recently banned aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from using its ports or airspace. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described the move as “antisemitic.” In response, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares accused Israel of violating international law and undermining a recent two-week ceasefire following heavy airstrikes on Lebanon.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has emerged as a leading European opponent of the conflict with Iran, has also closed Spanish airspace to any aircraft involved in what he called “reckless and illegal” military actions.
This latest controversy has further strained relations between the two countries, highlighting deep divisions over the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
