The majority of Spaniards, six out of ten, believe that all relations with Israel should be broken as long as the country is led by the prime minister, Binyamine Netanyahu, according to data from the latest survey by Prensa Ibérica. Netanyahu, who has led the destiny of the “Jewish State” for two decades (not consecutively), is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
To the question “Do you agree or disagree that Spain should suspend all its relations with Israel while Netanyahu governs?“, 61.8% of those surveyed responded in agreement, 25.6% disagreed and 12.6% did not know or did not answer.
Sumar and Podemos have called for breaking all diplomatic relations with Israel over what they consider a genocide in Gaza. The President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezis opposed, despite considering that Israel is a “genocidal state.”
No ambassadors
The Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, He has explained on several occasions that the total severance of relations is an extreme measure reserved for countries at war or in bilateral conflict. Spain has only applied it in democracy against Guatemalaafter the burning of the Spanish embassy in Guatemala City on January 31, 1980, within the framework of the country’s civil war; 37 people died.
Spain has temporarily retired (call for consultations in diplomatic jargon) to the Spanish ambassador in Tel Aviv, Ana Salomón, in protest of the Netanyahu Executive’s insults to the president and several Spanish ministers. Israel, for its part, does not have an ambassador in Madrid and has reduced the level of its delegation to that of “chargé d’affaires”, all after the recognition of Palestine as a State by Spain in May of last year.
The next step to the temporary withdrawal of ambassadors would be the “definitive withdrawal” of the ambassador in Israel, as was done as a protest against Javier Milei’s Argentina for the insults to Sánchez and his family. The last extreme would be the breaking of relations and the closure of the Embassy in Tel Aviv.
More those over 60 years old
The number of Spaniards who request the Breaking relations with Israel it rises three percentage points in the case of women. By age, 57.3% of young people up to 29 years old ask to break up relationships, a figure that rises to 62.5% in those between 30 and 40 years old, remains at 60.7% for those between 45 and 59 and rises again to the maximum of 64.1% in those over 60.
The field work was carried out with one thousand respondents from October 3 to 9, 2025, a week dominated by Israel’s assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla and the Freedom Flotilla, the deportation of dozens of Spaniards and reports of mistreatment and degrading treatment in prison by Israel. The last two days of that survey have been informationally dominated by the acceptance by Israel and Hamas of a ceasefire agreement drawn up by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, among others.
The International Court of Justice has a case open for alleged genocide against Israel, presented by South Africa and supported by Spain, among other countries. In March of last year, Netanyahu broke the second truce agreed with Hamas and ordered a total blockade of the Gaza Stripwhich caused a famine. The images of starving children and the death of dozens of them due to malnutrition have shocked global consciences. Normally allied countries such as Germany decided to suspend the shipment of weapons that could be used against the civilian population. A survey by the Elcano Royal Institute places the number of Spaniards who think that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza at 82%.
Survey technical sheet
–Responsible company: GESOP.
–Research technique: Telephone interviews.
–Scope of the study: Spain.
–Target population: Adults with the right to vote.
–Sample dimension: 1,000 interviews.
–Sampling type: Proportional by autonomous community and municipality size. Selection of the person to interview according to gender and age quotas.
–Margin of error: ± 3.1% under the assumption of more in infinite universes, maximum statistical indeterminacy (p=q=0.5) and a confidence level of 95%.
–Field work: From October 3 to 9, 2025.
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