Being Pedro Sanchez: Is Spain's anti-Israel prime minister on the wrong side of history?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has intensified his criticism of Israel, labeling the detention of two Global Sumud Flotilla members—Palestinian-Spanish-Swedish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Ávila—as 'kidnapping.' He also demanded the release of a Spanish citizen held by Israeli authorities, whom he described as 'illegally detained.' Sánchez made these remarks at a PSOE rally in Málaga last week, while Israeli courts extended the duo’s detention until Sunday, citing suspicions of aiding enemy forces, contacting terrorist elements, and terrorism-related offenses. The Spanish leader’s stance follows his March decision to withdraw Spain’s ambassador from Israel, ending four decades of diplomatic relations established in 1986. Sánchez also accused the European Union of undermining its credibility by failing to sanction Israel over its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, a move blocked by Germany and Italy. His government further barred Spain’s participation in and broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest on its 70th anniversary. Critics, including Spanish businessman David Hatchwell—president of the Hispanic Jewish Foundation and former leader of the Jewish Community of Madrid—describe Sánchez’s policies as a 'deepest crisis' in Spain-Israel relations in 500 years. Hatchwell contrasted Sánchez’s approach with past Spanish gestures, such as the 1986 normalization of ties and the 2015 law granting nationality to Sephardic descendants. He called Sánchez’s government 'the most anti-Israel and antisemitic in the West,' noting a surge in antisemitic incidents since Sánchez took office. Despite Spain’s 2018 adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s antisemitism definition, Hatchwell criticized the national anti-antisemitism plan as ineffective and accused media—including social media—of spreading misinformation about Gaza. He warned that 'a generation of people today, of all ages, have been fed the trope of the Jews committing' perceived atrocities, fueling hostility. The diplomatic rift has strained Spain’s relationship with Jewish communities, with Hatchwell’s organization, ACOM, successfully countering over 90 anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) cases in Spanish courts. Sánchez’s policies have sparked concern over rising antisemitism, with critics arguing his government’s rhetoric has normalized hostility toward Israel and Jewish people.