Spain’s Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, has delivered one of Madrid’s sharpest public attacks on Israel, calling its government “a genocidal and criminal regime.” Her full message, posted on Bluesky on April 10, 2026, read: “We do not defame, we describe: you are a genocidal and criminal regime. And you will all end up before the International Criminal Court.” The statement came during a fresh diplomatic confrontation between Spain and Israel, not as an isolated comment.
The quote has circulated widely online, sometimes beside photographs of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. That presentation has caused confusion, but available records show the words were Rego’s, not Sánchez’s. Fact-checkers traced the statement to Rego’s verified Bluesky account and confirmed that she published it after Israel accused Spain of hostility and removed Madrid’s representatives from a Gaza coordination body.
The comment was a direct response to Netanyahu
The confrontation escalated when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Spain’s representatives would be removed from the civil-military coordination center in Kiryat Gat. The center was involved in supervising arrangements connected to Gaza’s ceasefire and future administration. Netanyahu said Spain had repeatedly chosen to stand against Israel and accused Madrid of defaming Israeli soldiers.
“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us,” Netanyahu said in an official statement. He described the Israeli military as “the most moral army in the world” and warned that countries conducting what he called a diplomatic war against Israel would pay “an immediate price.” Rego answered hours later with the “we do not defame, we describe” post, turning Israel’s accusation back on Netanyahu’s government.
Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, also rejected Israeli criticism, describing the latest attacks on Spain as “absurd and slanderous.” On the same day, Sánchez urged the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel, arguing that Israel was violating provisions connected to international and humanitarian law. His official speech criticized double standards but did not include Rego’s description of Israel as a “genocidal and criminal regime.”
Spain and Israel were already on a collision course
The April dispute grew out of a much longer breakdown in relations. Spain formally recognized the State of Palestine on May 28, 2024, alongside Ireland and Norway. Madrid said the decision supported a two-state solution and was not directed against Israel, which Sánchez described as a country that Spain respected and valued.
Spain later filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. That step allowed Spain to present its interpretation of the Genocide Convention rather than decide Israel’s guilt itself. The case remains unresolved, and the ICJ has not issued a final judgment declaring that Israel committed genocide, with the court still setting procedural deadlines in May 2026.
Rego’s reference to the International Criminal Court concerns a separate legal process. In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to Gaza. The warrants are not convictions, and Israel rejects the allegations and the court’s authority, but the legal action has become central to calls from Spanish officials for international accountability.
Rego has made Gaza a central political issue
Rego’s April statement fits a consistent pattern rather than a sudden change in tone. Spain’s government still lists her as Minister for Youth and Children, and her ministry has repeatedly connected the destruction in Gaza to the rights and welfare of Palestinian children. In July 2026, she met organizations working with Palestinian children and alleged that Israel’s objective was to “exterminate the Palestinian population,” language representing her political position rather than a final international court ruling.
Her ministry has highlighted the psychological harm suffered by Palestinian children and called for accountability through international institutions. Rego has also criticized European governments for delaying tougher action, arguing that expressions of humanitarian concern must be accompanied by political consequences. These positions have made her one of the most outspoken pro-Palestinian figures in Sánchez’s coalition government.
The confrontation shows how far relations between Spain and Israel have deteriorated. Israel views Madrid’s accusations and diplomatic initiatives as hostile, while Spanish ministers insist they are defending international law and demanding accountability. Rego’s words were deliberately confrontational, but the verified record is clear: she made the statement herself, it followed Israel’s removal of Spain from the Gaza coordination center, and it formed part of Madrid’s broader campaign for legal and political pressure over Gaza.
