Spain-Israel Row Escalates After Netanyahu Effigy Blown to Pieces at Easter Festival Near Málaga

A Seven-Metre Effigy Packed With Gunpowder

A seven-metre puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was detonated in the town of El Burgo, near Málaga, on April 5 as part of what local officials insist is a long-standing Easter ritual dating back over a century.

The towering figure was packed with 14kg of gunpowder and obliterated in front of cheering crowds. It depicted a white-haired man in a suit with a sign reading "genocida" (genocidal) pinned to its chest. At its feet, a placard declared "no a la guerra" (no to war).

Mayor María Dolores Narváez said: "It's a tradition that's been carried on since the early 1900s. People used to burn effigies symbolising all the bad things that happened during the year, and from that, the good is said to be reborn." Previous years have featured effigies of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Israel's Furious Response

Israel's Foreign Ministry summoned Spain's chargé d'affaires for a formal reprimand, condemning what it called "appalling antisemitic hatred on display" and blaming it on "systemic incitement" by the Sánchez government.

Netanyahu himself issued a video statement: "The State of Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has slandered our heroes, Israel Defence Forces soldiers, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world."

Spain Pushes Back

Madrid rejected the accusations. A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters the government was "committed to fighting antisemitism and any form of hate or discrimination" and "totally rejects" any suggestion to the contrary.

A Relationship in Freefall

The effigy row is just the latest in a series of escalating tensions:

• Spain recognised Palestinian statehood in 2024
• Spain recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv on March 10, leaving only a chargé d'affaires
• Spain refused access to its Andalucían bases at Rota and Morón for US operations against Iran
• Netanyahu expelled Spain's representatives from the Gaza ceasefire coordination centre
• Israel criticised Spain for reopening its Tehran embassy after the ceasefire

This article is based on reporting from The Olive Press, published April 13, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.