Israel summons Spanish diplomat over minister’s "river to the sea" comments

Israel has summoned Spain’s chargé d’affaires to formally reprimand her over comments by Spanish Youth Minister Sira Rego supporting a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea”.

Gilad Cohen, head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Political-Strategic Affairs Directorate, delivered the reprimand to Spanish Chargé d’Affaires Francisca Pedrós, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The ministry described Rego’s remarks as part of what it called a “systematic anti-Israel policy” pursued by the Spanish government and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Rego, who entered the European Parliament in 2019, has a Palestinian father who lives in the West Bank. On October 7, she said Palestinians had “the right to resist after decades of occupation”.

She has also reposted posts calling for the expulsion of Israel’s diplomatic delegation from Spain and describing Israel as “undemocratic and corrupt”.

Israel barred Rego and Spain’s deputy prime minister from entering the country in September 2025.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Rego’s latest comments reflected the Spanish government’s current position and amounted to support for a vision that would mean the elimination of Israel.

The ministry also accused Sánchez of attacking Israel over its right to defend itself against Iran and Hamas.

By Aghakazim Guliyev