Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
The seven-metre (23-foot) figure resembling the Israeli leader was packed with 14 kilograms (31 lb) of gunpowder and detonated in El Burgo, a small town near Malaga in the southern region of Andalusia, on 5 April.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the act was “antisemitic” and accused the Spanish government of incitement in a post on X, which included video footage of the explosion.
"The appalling antisemitic hatred on display here is a direct result of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government's systemic incitement," the Ministry said.
Madrid’s Foreign Ministry said the Spanish government “entirely rejects” the accusations.
"The Spanish government is committed to fighting against antisemitism and any form of hate or discrimination. As such we totally reject any insidious allegation which suggests the contrary," a ministry source said.
El Burgo's Mayor Maria Dolores Narvaez said the town had previously used effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the annual event.
Spain’s left-wing government, led by Sánchez, and Israel have been embroiled in a long-running diplomatic row stemming from the Gaza war.
Spain has criticised Israel’s military actions in Gaza, banned aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from using its ports and airspace, and prohibited the sale of weapons to the country.
In September 2025, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Spain’s actions were “antisemitic.”
Spain has also been an outspoken critic of the U.S. and Israeli military campaigns in Iran and Lebanon, closing Spanish airspace to any aircraft involved in the action.
In March, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel as relations between the two countries nosedived.
Most recently, on 10 April, Netanyahu barred Spain from participating in a coordination centre overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, accusing Madrid of waging a diplomatic campaign against Israel.
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