A Spanish minister warns companies in Israel of the genocide in Gaza

The Spanish government distanced itself from letters to a minister from a junior partner in the ruling leftist coalition, in which he urged Spanish companies in Israel not to assist in human rights violations against Palestinians.

This disavowal highlights the differences between the two partners in their approach to the war in Gaza.

The center-left Socialist Party, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, supports recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution while maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel.

But the leftist Sumar Party has always described the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip as genocide, and wants to suspend economic relations with Israel, which it says aims to eliminate Hamas fighters, after they attacked Israel on October 7, and denies accusations of genocide.

The Ministry of Social Rights said in a statement on Wednesday that Minister Pablo Postenduy, from the Somar party, sent letters to a number of companies that have significant commercial activity in Israel.

In the letters, Bostendoy called for measures to be taken “to avoid the risk that their economic activities in the region will contribute to the flagrant human rights violations committed by Israel,” as a means “to end the genocide in Palestine.”

The Israeli embassy in Spain rejected what it said were “false accusations spread by some ministers… representing clear incitement to hatred and encouragement of anti-Semitism.”

Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, a socialist, said she learned about the messages through the media, which she described as the minister’s own opinion.

She commented: “Government policies related to companies and trade are the responsibility of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy.”

Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told reporters that the Postenduy initiative came as a surprise and that Spanish companies are fully aware of their obligations under a stable legal framework that guides their activities at home and abroad.

The official news agency EFE quoted sources in the Foreign Ministry as saying that they did not understand why Postenduy was speaking on behalf of the government, while Europa Press quoted diplomatic sources as confirming that Israel was “a friend of Spain,” which angered prominent officials. In the Sumar Party on the “X” social media platform.