RUSSIA and Israel have hit back at Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez after he accused them of fuelling an ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta.
The left-wing Spanish leader explosively claimed on Monday that social media accounts linked to Moscow, Tel Aviv and the ‘international far right’ had spread disinformation following the influx in a bid to sow ‘division’ across Europe.
In a post on X on Monday, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar swatted down the claim as a ‘bare-faced lie’, branding Sanchez’s tenure as Spanish PM an ‘embarrassing failure’.
Meanwhile, according to Spanish media reports, Russia’s foreign ministry formally asked the Spanish government to produce ‘concrete proof’ of Sanchez’s allegation, rejecting any claim of Moscow’s involvement in the crisis.
It comes after more than 70,000 migrants illegally crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta on July 30 and 31, with dozens of people dying in the attempt.
The mass crossing has since triggered a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of migrants still remaining in the small town despite more than 90% voluntarily crossing back into Morocco shortly after the surge.
Speaking to Spanish broadcaster Cadena SER on Monday, Sanchez said the influx was partly prompted by ‘fake news’ circulating online, which encouraged migrants to attempt the crossing.
He then accused Russia, Israel and the ‘international far right’ of amplifying the fake news after the incident, capitalising on the crisis to ‘divide’ Europe and ‘attack’ Spain.
He said: “From July 30 and 31 onwards, this disinformation was amplified by social media accounts linked to Russia, Israel and an international far-right movement that routinely exploits migration to attack not only Spain, but Europe as a whole, and to drive divisions.”
In the same interview, Sanchez also cleared Morocco of any responsibility for the mass crossing, saying there was ‘no evidence’ Rabat had been in any way involved.
The government’s opposition, led by right-wing Partido Popular (PP), responded to the statements with scathing criticism, accusing Sanchez of trying to ‘shift the blame’ onto Russia, Israel and the far right while letting Morocco off the hook.
PP spokesperson Borja Semper said: “He flatly let Morocco off the hook and blamed the crisis on the ‘international far right’ – the only thing he did not do was blame [Spanish former dictator] Franco.”
The latest incident marks another escalation in the already-frayed relationship between Spain and Russia and Israel.
Madrid has been critical of both Moscow and Tel Aviv over the wars in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, in which more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Relations between Spain and Israel have plunged to an all-time low since Madrid recognised a Palestinian state in 2024, with both countries subsequently withdrawing their respective ambassadors.
Only chargé d’affaires now remain to run the Madrid and Tel Aviv embassies, while both countries continue to trade criticism over the war in Gaza and Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
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