Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for allegedly expressing regret over not possessing a nuclear bomb “to stop Israel,” a statement made days earlier that has ignited a diplomatic firestorm. Sa’ar’s remarks accused Sánchez of inciting pro-Palestinian demonstrators who disrupted the prestigious ‘La Vuelta’ cycling race on September 14, leading to its cancellation—a blow to Spain’s sporting pride. Sa’ar branded Sánchez and his government “a disgrace to Spain,” linking the premier’s rhetoric to the mob’s actions.

The controversy stems from Sánchez’s September 8 arms embargo on Israel, where he accused the nation of genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel denies. Sa’ar’s statement suggests Sánchez’s nuclear comment, though hypothetical given Spain’s lack of such weapons, emboldened protesters to storm the race route in Madrid, clashing with police and forcing organizers to abandon the event. Video footage shows demonstrators waving Palestinian flags, chanting anti-Israel slogans, and blocking cyclists, an escalation tied to Sánchez’s public encouragement of street protests.