Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered the immediate expulsion of Spanish representatives from the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. The move serves as a forceful assertion of Israeli sovereignty against a nation the prime minister characterized as a serial defamer of the Jewish state.
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us,” Netanyahu declared. “Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world. Therefore, I have instructed today to remove Spain’s representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel. Those who attack the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region. I am not willing to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us.
Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/c95fTDNXkW
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 10, 2026
The expulsion from the CMCC is a significant blow to Spain’s regional influence. Established in 2025 as the “nerve center” for Gaza’s post-war stabilization, the Kiryat Gat facility coordinates international aid and monitors ceasefire compliance under the oversight of U.S. Central Command. By removing Spain, Israel has effectively stripped Madrid of its seat at the table in shaping the region’s future.
The prime minister’s firm stance was echoed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar, who described Spain’s anti-Israel bias under President Pedro Sánchez as “obsessive” and “egregious.” He stated that for a long time, the Spanish government led by Sánchez “has been operating against the State of Israel in every way possible. Sánchez and his ministers level false blood libels against Israel and its army, defame and incite against Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The government of Spain has been attempting to harm us in international institutions, including repeated – and unsuccessful – attempts to push sanctions against us in the European Union. During the war against Iran, it acted against our interests and against the interests of our ally, the United States of America.”
For a long time, the government of Spain under @sanchezcastejon has been operating against the State of Israel in every way possible. Sánchez and his ministers level false blood libels against Israel and its army, defame and incite against Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 10, 2026
Israeli MP Amichai Chikli delivered a more blistering rebuke:
Let me remind you, Mr. Sánchez: Israel did not attack Lebanon, not on October 8 and not now. It was Hezbollah that opened fire in defense of its Iranian masters. Israel has no conflict with Lebanon. It is at war with the Iranian axis of evil, with Hezbollah, and with its enablers, including Maduro and you. You, Sánchez, chose to align yourself with this terror regime. By doing so, you have become a full partner in the oppression of the Iranian people and a full partner in the terror imposed by Hezbollah on Lebanon.
And we will not forget how you cynically exploited the release of hostages, women and children, at the Rafah crossing to stage a public relations campaign for Hamas. Many European leaders are trapped in a profound moral vertigo that is dragging their nations toward the abyss. But in your case, this is not confusion. This is alignment. A deliberate alignment with Iran, with Hamas, with Hezbollah, with pure evil. There are no words to describe my contempt for you. You are a complete and utter zero.
Pedro Sánchez will be remembered as the man whose face was etched by a terror regime that massacred tens of thousands of its own citizens onto a ballistic missile aimed at innocent civilians.
Let me remind you, Mr. Sánchez: Israel did not attack Lebanon, not on October 8 and not… https://t.co/71hT00WQQq
— עמיחי שיקלי – Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) April 9, 2026
This modern friction is viewed by many in Israel and elsewhere through the lens of Spain’s long and virulent history of antisemitism. For centuries, Spain has been a center of institutionalized Jewish persecution. History remembers the 1391 pogroms, in which thousands of Jews were murdered, and the infamous 1492 Alhambra Decree, which forced Jews into exile or forced conversion. Spain even pioneered “Limpieza de Sangre” (purity of blood) laws — a precursor to modern racial antisemitism — which barred those of Jewish descent from society regardless of their faith.
In recent years, the Sánchez government has revived these tensions by permanently withdrawing its ambassador from Tel Aviv and leading the charge to recognize a Palestinian state. Critics argue that Spain’s current foreign policy is merely a modern iteration of its historical hostility. By expelling Spain’s representatives, Netanyahu has sent a clear signal: Israel will no longer tolerate “hypocrisy” from a nation with such a checkered past.
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