Israel Called It “Complicity in the Murder of the Jewish People”: What Really Happened When Spain Recognized Palestine?
FACT-CHECK REPORT | MIDDLE EAST DIPLOMACY
When Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stepped before the Congress of Deputies in Madrid on May 22, 2024, and announced that Spain would formally recognize a Palestinian state, the headlines that followed were explosive. One widely shared version of the story claimed that Israel’s foreign minister had called Spain “complicit in the murder of the Jewish people.” It was a dramatic line. But was it accurate? And what exactly unfolded between Madrid and Jerusalem in the days that followed? Let’s find out.
Fact-Check Verdict: Partially Misleading
The core events in the circulating narrative are real — Spain did recognize Palestine as a state, Israel’s foreign minister did use the word “complicit,” and Spain did join the ICJ case against Israel. However, the specific quote attributed to Israel — “complicity in the murder of the Jewish people” — is a distortion of what was actually said. The real language was distinct, specific, and came with crucial context that changes how it should be understood.
| MISLEADING | Claim: “Israel called Spain’s recognition “complicity in the murder of the Jewish people.”” Israeli FM Israel Katz actually charged Spain with being “complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes” — a distinct formulation. No verified official Israeli source used the phrase “murder of the Jewish people” in this context. |
| VERIFIED | Claim: “Spain joined Ireland and Norway, bringing total recognizing states to over 140.”
Accurate. Prior to May 28, 2024, 143 UN member states had recognized Palestine. The three recognitions brought the total to 146. |
| VERIFIED | Claim: “Spain became the first European country to join South Africa’s ICJ genocide case.”
Accurate. In June 2024, Spain became the first EU member state to formally request to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. |
| VERIFIED | Claim: “Sanchez called the recognition ‘historic’ and aimed at helping both peoples.”
Accurate, matching Sanchez’s official declaration of May 28, 2024. |
| VERIFIED | Claim: “East Jerusalem was named as the capital of the Palestinian state.” Accurate. Sanchez’s declaration explicitly called for East Jerusalem to be the Palestinian capital. |
The Real Story: What Actually Happened
Spain’s Announcement: The Buildup
The path to May 28 was months in the making. After the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 — which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 people taken hostage — Spain’s response diverged sharply from that of many Western allies. While PM Sanchez condemned the Hamas attacks, members of his coalition government made statements that drew fierce criticism from Israel.
By May 2024, with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza having killed more than 35,000 Palestinians according to health officials there, Sanchez moved decisively. He coordinated with Ireland and Norway for a joint announcement, signaling the move was a principled diplomatic position rather than an isolated act.
What PM Sanchez Actually Said (May 28, 2024):
“This is a historic decision with a single objective: to help Israelis and Palestinians reach peace… The State of Palestine must first and foremost be viable, with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as its capital, and unified under the legitimate leadership of the Palestinian National Authority. This is a decision that we do not take against anyone, least of all against Israel, a friendly people whom we respect and appreciate.”
Getting the Israeli Quote Right
This is where the widely shared version of the story gets it wrong. The claim that Israel called Spain’s move “complicity in the murder of the Jewish people” is a paraphrase — and not an accurate one.
What Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz actually posted on X (formerly Twitter) on May 28 was layered and specific. He invoked Deputy PM Yolanda Diaz, who had closed a speech with the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a phrase widely understood by Israelis as a call for Israel’s elimination. Katz directly tied Sanchez’s recognition of Palestine to his refusal to dismiss Diaz, framing it as endorsement of her rhetoric.
What Israeli FM Israel Katz Actually Said:
“Sanchez, when you don’t fire your deputy and declare recognition of a Palestinian state — you are a partner to incitement to the genocide of Jews and to war crimes.” (via X/Twitter, May 28, 2024) Newsmax and other outlets also reported the formulation: Israel accused Spain of being “complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”
The phrase “murder of the Jewish people” does not appear in any verified official Israeli government statement from that date. The distinction carries real legal significance: “incitement to genocide” is a specific charge under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Substituting a different phrase — however emotionally similar in tone — distorts the actual diplomatic record.
Israel’s Concrete Responses Beyond Words
Israel did not limit itself to rhetoric. Following the formal recognition, several concrete diplomatic and punitive measures followed:
- Israel withdrew its ambassadors to Ireland, Norway, and Spain.
- Israeli FM Katz summoned the three countries’ ambassadors and showed them footage from the October 7 attacks.
- Israel ordered the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem to halt consular services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
- Israel accused Spain of being complicit with Hamas and threatening the safety of Jewish communities in Spain.
Spain Joins the ICJ Genocide Case
The story did not end with the recognition. In June 2024, Spain became the first EU member state to formally request to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa had filed the case in December 2023, alleging Israel’s military campaign violated the Genocide Convention.
This was a significant escalation. Israel condemned the move, calling the ICJ case politically motivated. The Israeli government’s position has consistently been that its military operations are a legitimate act of self-defense in response to the October 7 attacks.
Context: Why This Dispute Ran So Deep
A Relationship Already Under Strain Before May 2024
Spain and Israel had been on a collision course well before the formal recognition. Within weeks of October 7, several members of Spain’s left-wing coalition government made statements that inflamed the relationship. Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra called for Spain to bring Israeli PM Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court. Deputy PM Yolanda Diaz later ended a speech with the “river to the sea” slogan, which prompted the specific Israeli accusation of incitement.
Israel had already recalled its ambassador to Spain for a period and summoned Spain’s envoy in Tel Aviv multiple times. The formal recognition of May 28, 2024 was the culmination of this escalating diplomatic breakdown rather than its starting point.
Spanish Public Opinion: An Overwhelming 78% in Favour
The decision was not driven by Sanchez’s coalition alone. A survey by the Real Elcano Institute conducted in early 2024 found that 78% of Spaniards supported the swift recognition of a Palestinian state. This view held across all political groups and educational levels — an unusually broad consensus that gave the government substantial domestic backing for the move.
Spain’s Historical Relationship with the Conflict
Spain’s support for Palestinian statehood has deep roots. Since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975, every Spanish government regardless of political color had supported Palestinian statehood in principle. The Spanish parliament passed a non-binding motion to recognize Palestine as far back as 2014.
Notably, Spain was the last Western European country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, doing so only in 1986. This history gave a sharp edge to the Israeli government’s rhetorical comparisons — invoking Spain’s medieval Inquisition and the 1492 expulsion of Jews — in its condemnations.
People Also Ask: Common Questions Answered
Did Israel officially recall its ambassador to Spain?
Yes. Israel withdrew its ambassadors to Spain, Ireland, and Norway following the formal recognitions on May 28, 2024. Israel had previously recalled its ambassador to Spain for shorter periods during earlier diplomatic disputes.
Is Spain the first European country to recognize Palestine?
No. Sweden recognized Palestine in 2014 as the first EU member state to do so. Several other European nations — including Iceland, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Cyprus — had also recognized Palestine before 2024. Spain, Ireland, and Norway’s 2024 moves were notable for being major Western European countries acting jointly during the ongoing Gaza war.
How many countries currently recognize Palestine?
As of 2025-2026, 157 of the 193 UN member states recognize the State of Palestine. A significant additional wave came in September 2025, led by France and including Canada and the UK — the first G7 nations to do so. The United States, Germany, and Italy remain among the prominent holdouts.
What does recognizing Palestine actually change in practice?
Recognition is largely symbolic in the near term but carries long-term diplomatic weight. It allows Palestine to enter bilateral agreements as a sovereign entity, strengthens its standing in international negotiations, and signals a shift in Western opinion. Palestine’s access to international financial systems and its non-member observer status at the UN are not automatically changed by individual state recognitions.
Summary: Key Claims vs. Reality
| Claim in Circulation | Verdict | Reality |
| Israel called Spain ‘complicit in the murder of the Jewish people’ | MISLEADING | FM Katz’s actual charge was ‘complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes’ — a different phrase |
| Spain joined Ireland & Norway, total recognizing states 140+ | VERIFIED | Total reached 146 on May 28, 2024 (previously 143) |
| Spain was first EU country to join ICJ genocide case | VERIFIED | Spain joined in June 2024, confirmed as first EU member |
| Sanchez called the decision ‘historic’ | VERIFIED | His exact word in the official May 28 declaration |
| East Jerusalem named as Palestinian capital | VERIFIED | Explicitly stated in Sanchez’s declaration |
| Recognition aimed at helping Israelis and Palestinians | VERIFIED | Sanchez’s stated position, though disputed by Israel |
Conclusion: Real Events, One Distorted Quote
Spain’s recognition of Palestine on May 28, 2024 is a real and historically significant diplomatic event. So is the furious Israeli response, the coordinated action with Ireland and Norway, and Spain’s subsequent decision to join the ICJ genocide case. These are documented facts from verified primary sources.
What is not accurate is the specific phrase circulated online: that Israel called Spain’s move “complicity in the murder of the Jewish people.” That formulation does not match any verified official Israeli statement. The actual charge — “complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes” — is itself a deeply serious diplomatic accusation that does not require embellishment.
In a conflict this sensitive, where language carries legal and political implications, precision matters. The underlying story is consequential enough on its own terms. Readers deserve the real words, not a dramatized version of them.
Key Takeaways
- Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized Palestine on May 28, 2024.
- The recognitions brought the global total to 146 UN member states acknowledging Palestinian statehood.
- Israeli FM Israel Katz accused Spain of being ‘complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes’ — NOT ‘murder of the Jewish people.’
- Spain in June 2024 became the first EU member to join South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel.
- Israel withdrew ambassadors to all three countries and took punitive consular measures against Spain.
- 78% of Spaniards surveyed in early 2024 supported the recognition.
- As of 2025-2026, 157 of 193 UN member states recognize Palestinian statehood — including G7 nations Canada, France, and the UK (recognized in 2025).
Sources & Further Reading
- Official Institutional Declaration by PM Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Government (La Moncloa), May 28, 2024.
- Times of Israel: FM accuses Spain’s Sanchez of being complicit in calls for genocide of Jewish people, May 28, 2024.
- Al Jazeera: Ireland, Norway and SpainrecognisedPalestine. What has that changed?, May 28, 2024.
- Real Elcano Institute: Spanish public opinionregardingthe recognition of the State of Palestine, May 2024.
- Wikipedia: International recognition of Palestine (updated 2025-2026).
- Newsmax: Israel Leader Lashes Out at Spain: Complicit in Inciting Genocide, May 28, 2024.
About This Report: This fact-check article examines claims that circulated online regarding Spain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood and the Israeli government’s response. All key claims are evaluated against verified primary sources and credible news reporting. This report covers a geopolitically sensitive and actively evolving topic; readers are encouraged to consult primary sources for the most current developments.
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