Spain will deny entry to Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as part of measures tied to the Gaza war, the country announced on Tuesday in Madrid. The step comes alongside actions Spain has signaled in recent days to tighten restrictions connected to the conflict.
Ben-Gvir responded to this decision with a post on X, formerly Twitter, in Spanish, where he said: “Don’t let me in – give free entrance to Spain for the people in Gaza.”
The Spanish government has already moved to bar ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from using Spanish ports and airspace and to boost aid to Palestinian bodies while targeting settlement-linked goods. These measures were outlined on Monday and framed by Madrid as part of a broader policy response to the war.
The decision escalated an already tense diplomatic standoff after Israel barred two Spanish cabinet members, Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, drawing a sharp protest from Madrid and the recall of Spain’s ambassador to Israel for consultations.
Not the first entry ban for Smotrich and Ben-Gvir
The two Israeli ministers named by Spain have faced mounting international pressure this year. In June, Britain joined allied countries in sanctioning Ben-Gvir and Smotrich over incendiary remarks linked to the Gaza war, a move that Jerusalem criticized.
Other European capitals have also targeted the pair. In late July, the Netherlands imposed its own entry ban on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and summoned Israel’s ambassador in The Hague.
Spain’s latest decision follows a months-long hardening of policy that included diplomatic downgrades and steps to limit military-related transit, with Madrid arguing its measures reflect public sentiment at home and concern over the conduct of the war.