Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has called for Israel to be banned from international sports competitions due to the ongoing war in Gaza. This comes after Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar branded the Spaniard “a disgrace” in response to pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid.
The final stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race was cancelled on Sunday (September 14) after protesters entered part of the course. Over 1,000 police officers were deployed on the streets of the Spanish capital, and the race was subsequently brought to an end as more demonstrations were expected.
An Israeli team were competing in the race, and Sanchez had previously responded to the protests by stating that Spain “shines as an example with pride” with its stance on the situation in Gaza. Saar condemned those remarks and accused the Spanish PM of inciting the pro-Palestinian protests.
Spanish PM Sanchez Calls For Israel Sporting Exclusion
Sanchez wants the same action taken against Israel as that against Russia – currently banned due to its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has been excluded from sporting competition, including UEFA competitions such as last summer’s European Championships, while clubs were pulled from the Champions League and other club tournaments.
The Spanish PM told representatives of his Socialist Workers’ Party (via BBC Sport):
“Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image.”
The Minister of digital transformation, Oscar Lopez, had given his thoughts on the protests that caused the cancellation of the race in Madrid: “It’s a relief to me that thousands and thousands of people mobilise against that genocide, because it is genocide, and it has no other name.”
The war in Gaza escalated in October 2023 and Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts remain unresolved. Israel denies accusations of genocide and calls its actions in Gaza an act of self-defence.
Sanchez stated that both Israel and Russia should be banned from international sports competitions for their “barbaric acts” relating to the Gaza conflict and invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. Next summer’s FIFA World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada is one major sporting competition that Israel are currently eligible to compete in – although they are third in their qualifying group as things stand.
Spain’s stance over Israel exclusion extends beyond sport, as Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has also suggested that the country will “boycott” Eurovision 2026 if Israel is included. Russia has been banned from the singing competition since 2022 due to its actions in Ukraine.