Spain’s Prime Minister Pushes Israel to The Hague: “Palestine Is Bleeding”

In a move drawing sharp criticism and historic parallels, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced that Spain will lead an initiative to refer Israel’s actions in Gaza to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the Jewish state of violations under international law.

Speaking at the Arab League Summit in Iraq, Sánchez declared: “Palestine is bleeding to death before our eyes,” adding that “there is nothing happening in Gaza or the West Bank the world can afford to ignore.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Spain’s prior support for South Africa’s genocide case against Israel and its backing of a Norwegian-led legal initiative regarding Israel’s obligations to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

A Pattern of Hostility

Since the outbreak of the war, Sánchez has taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Israel, culminating last week in labeling it a “genocidal state” during a debate in the Spanish Congress.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Spanish Ambassador Ana Solomon for an official reprimand. The use of such terminology, which echoes some of the darkest libels in European history, has raised alarms among Jewish communities and historians alike.

Critics argue that Sánchez’s rhetoric reflects a revival of deep-seated, historic anti-Jewish sentiment, cloaked today in the language of human rights and progressive values, but rooted in the same Catholic-European antagonism that once fueled the Inquisition and centuries of discrimination against Spanish Jews.

Sánchez’s government, a fragile minority coalition, relies heavily on the far-left Podemos party, which has demanded the full severing of diplomatic ties with Israel. His foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, is reportedly working behind the scenes to limit damage to relations with Jerusalem, holding discreet talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in recent weeks.

Sánchez also used his speech to call for intensified Arab-European cooperation and urged more EU nations to recognize a Palestinian state - a step Spain took last year.