Interview
Madrid aims to set an example for Europe with sanctions against Israel
We spoke with Spanish Youth Minister Sira Rigo: ‘The Spanish government’s political intention is clear: we must ensure that not a single square meter of our territory is involved in collaborating with this genocide.’
For the first time, Israel has sanctioned members of an EU government. Spanish ministers Yolanda Díaz and Sira Rego – both members of the left-wing Sumar coalition – have been hit with personal sanctions and declared persona non grata in the country. We spoke with Youth Minister Sira Rego as she was busy responding to thousands of messages of solidarity.
The sanctions against you and Yolanda Diaz are clearly not just a matter between Spain and Israel; they also concern Brussels. What do you expect from the European Commission?
The decision made by Israel is the typical reaction of a genocidal government that has ignored international law for many years. Its sole objective is to intimidate anyone who denounces the atrocities it is committing in the Gaza Strip. For almost two years now, we have been demanding that the European Union make a clean break from the inaction that is a hallmark of its attitude. It is unsustainable. In the face of a genocide, it is not possible to remain silent.
The government led by Pedro Sanchez has chosen to proceed with sanctions against Israel. Under pressure from civil society, could Spain's actions lead the way for others?
The Spanish government’s political intention is clear: we must ensure that not a single square meter of our territory is involved in collaborating with this genocide, either by action or by omission. We are aware of the limitations of a single country on the international stage, but I think this could be a turning point. Spain already held a different position from many other countries, but we owe this qualitative leap, decided [on Monday] by the Council of Ministers, to the citizens who are organizing and mobilizing. I hope other governments will follow Spain’s example and finally respond to the demands of their societies. It is necessary to respond to these social demands by taking a further step: breaking off all diplomatic, economic, and commercial relations with Israel.
The Meloni government in Italy, in particular, has distinguished itself as a staunch ally of Netanyahu.
In Italy, as in the rest of the world, organized civil society is offering a lesson in dignity. Every person who takes to the streets against this barbarism represents an indispensable push to end the genocide. Governments are facing a choice: continue to support Netanyahu’s actions or listen to the voice of their own civil society demanding justice. To turn a blind eye is to be complicit with those who are exterminating a people and erasing international law and human dignity.
The conflict in Gaza seems to have caused the collapse of the last vestiges of international law. Doesn’t the request to the UN General Assembly to recognize the state of Palestine, without concrete action against Israel, risk being nothing more than a fig leaf so the West can do nothing?
The recognition of the Palestinian state is an important step. But if it remains an isolated act, without concrete measures to stop the genocide and end the occupation and the apartheid regime, it is not enough. Those who today limit themselves to proclamations without real action only reinforce impunity. International law is credible only if it is applied without double standards.
On Monday, we saw the attack on the Sumud Flotilla. What must European governments do to ensure the safety of the crews?
The Flotilla brings food, medicine, dignity, and hope. We must be grateful to all the people who are putting their bodies and their energy into the service of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Spanish government guarantees and will continue to guarantee consular and all other diplomatic protection to the Spanish activists aboard the Flotilla. But this extraordinary civil action must not make us forget our institutional responsibilities: it is urgent to end the blockade imposed by Israel and allow all necessary aid to enter.
On one side, there is a Western supremacism that is defending Israel at all costs; on the other, a new internationalism is growing, built by horizontal networks of activists, NGOs and social and political forces. Can we hope for a new International?
This new International already exists. We see it growing in the streets, in the universities, in the ports, among all the collectives that refuse to be complicit. It is this collective force that must inspire us and that we must nurture in order to break the narrative monopoly of the global right and open up space for an agenda of justice, peace and rights.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/leccezione-di-madrid-rompere-tutte-le-relazioni-con-tel-aviv on 2025-09-10