| Ambassador of Spain to Israel | |
|---|---|
 | |
Incumbent since 20 July 2021Ana María Salomón Pérez | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs | |
| Style | The Most Excellent |
| Residence | Tel Aviv |
| Nominator | The Foreign Minister |
| Appointer | The Monarch |
| Term length | At the government's pleasure |
| Inaugural holder | Pedro López Aguirrebengoa |
| Formation | 1986 |
| Website | Mission of Spain to Israel |
Theambassador of Spain to Israel is theofficial representative of theKingdom of Spain to theState of Israel. Since September 2025, the Spanish ambassador is in Madrid,[1] while the charge d'affaires, Francisca María Pedrós Carretero, manage the diplomatic relations inTel Aviv.
The first contacts between the two countries took place as early as 1949. Spain, under thedictatorship of Francisco Franco, was seeking allies to gain entry into theUnited Nations, something that Israel was not interested in at the time. Israel initially accused Spain of collaborating withNazi Germany and selling arms to Arab countries. With two completely opposing positions and no possibility of agreement, Spain continued its policy of rapprochement with the Arab nations.[2]
Later, in the mid-1950s, Israel adopted a more pragmatic attitude and attempted some contacts, but by then Spain had already consolidated its relationship with theUnited States, allowing it to join the United Nations in 1955, preventing any rapprochement between the two nations.[2]Maurice L. Perlzweig attempted to achieve a rapprochement between 1958 and 1959, but the dictatorship remained immovable in its position. Despite this, in the 1960s, Spanish diplomatic missions mediated with these Arab countries, helping thousands of Jews emigrate to Israel and secure their liberation during the conflict known as theSix-Day War.[3]
Following the accession ofJuan Carlos I to the throne in 1975, the Jewish communities found an ally in the king, who fostered contacts with Jews. Thus, the monarch received a delegation from the World Sephardi Federation, as well as representatives of the Jewish communities of major Spanish cities. Although theCount of Motrico had received the green light to establish diplomatic relations, the resignation of the government in mid-1976 interrupted the plans. New attempts were made later, but domestic politics and conflicts in the Middle East delayed normalization. However, the Spanish government suddenly initiated contacts in January 1986, quickly reaching an agreement.[4]
Spain and Israel established diplomatic relations on 17 January 1986, with an exchange of notes in theThe Hague betweenMáximo Cajal López, Spain's Secretary-General for Foreign Policy, and Yeshayahu Arung, Deputy Director atIsraeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[5] Although Spain recognized the new Jewish state, it did not recognize its full sovereignty over Jerusalem. The joint statement between the two countries expressly stated that the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries "will in no way affect the status of theConsulate General of Spain in Jerusalem".[6] The first ambassadors were appointed between January and February 1986.
Although relations between the two countries have always been tense, they deteriorated definitively following theGaza war of 2024. Spain believes Israel's response to theOctober 7 attacks was too harsh, calling itgenocide and recognizing theState of Palestine in May 2024.[7] That same month, Israel recalled its ambassador to Madrid,[8] and Spain did the same in September 2025.[1]
| Ambassador | Term | Nominated by | Appointed by | Accredited to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pedro López de Aguirrebengoa [es] | 13 February 1986[9] – 28 October 1992 (6 years, 258 days) | Francisco Fernández Ordóñez | Juan Carlos I | Chaim Herzog |
| 2 | José Luis Crespo de Vega [es] | 29 October 1992[10] – 29 June 1996 (3 years, 244 days) | Javier Solana | ||
| 3 | Miguel Ángel Moratinos | 29 June 1996[11] – 4 December 1996 (158 days) | Abel Matutes | Ezer Weizman | |
| 4 | Fermín Zelada Jurado | 22 February 1997[12] – 13 January 2001 (3 years, 326 days) | |||
| 5 | Carlos Bárcena Portolés | 13 January 2001[13] – 8 November 2003 (2 years, 299 days) | Josep Piqué | Moshe Katsav | |
| 6 | Eudaldo Mirapeix y Martínez [es] | 21 November 2003[14] – 5 July 2008 (4 years, 227 days) | Ana Palacio | ||
| 7 | Álvaro Iranzo Gutiérrez [es] | 5 July 2008[15] – 12 May 2012 (3 years, 312 days) | Miguel Ángel Moratinos | Shimon Peres | |
| 8 | Fernando Carderera Soler [es] | 12 May 2012[16] – 25 March 2017 (4 years, 317 days) | José Manuel García-Margallo | ||
| 9 | Manuel Gómez-Acebo Rodríguez-Spiteri [es] | 25 March 2017[17] – 21 July 2021 (4 years, 118 days) | Alfonso Dastis | Felipe VI | Reuven Rivlin |
| 10 | Ana María Salomón Pérez [es] | 21 July 2021[18] – Present[a] (4 years, 130 days) | José Manuel Albares | Isaac Herzog | |