Rep. Carlos A. Giménez, a Florida Republican, has withdrawn as co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus in a move tied to disagreements with Madrid’s policies toward Israel and concerns about antisemitic rhetoric, according to a letter sent to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The resignation reflects deepening rifts among Western allies over how governments should respond to Israel’s military operations in the Middle East. Giménez’s decision highlights how debates over the conflict have begun reshaping diplomatic relationships between longtime U.S. partners and their congressional representatives.
What Happened
Giménez, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Florida, announced his departure from the bipartisan caucus designed to strengthen U.S.–Spanish ties. In his letter to Sánchez, he described the decision as reluctant but necessary given what he characterized as escalating hostility toward Israel from the Spanish government.
The congressman cited several specific grievances: Spain’s entry restrictions on Israeli Defense Forces members and certain Israeli government officials, military cooperation limits that he described as arms embargoes, and what he called the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric by Madrid. “Spain has normalized rhetoric that crosses the line from legitimate policy disagreement into raw antisemitism,” Giménez wrote.
He described Spain’s bar on IDF personnel as “unprecedented and shameful,” arguing it unfairly singled out Israeli soldiers while the country remained vulnerable to threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and other organizations designated as terrorist entities. Giménez contended that Spain’s simultaneous accommodation of groups opposed to Israel’s existence deepened the contradiction in its approach.
The Reaction
Giménez framed his resignation around the stated purpose of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus: to advance bilateral relations rooted in shared democratic values. His letter suggests that Spain’s government, under Sánchez, no longer aligns with those principles in its conduct toward Israel.
“I remain hopeful that Spain will one day return to a foreign policy rooted in the defense of Western allies and moral clarity against terrorism,” he wrote. “Until then, I can no longer lend my name to an organization intended to celebrate bilateral friendship while your government actively works to undermine democratic principles.”
The congressman emphasized his decades of work strengthening U.S.–Spanish bonds and noted the deep historical, cultural, and economic connections between America and Spain, particularly within South Florida’s communities. Yet he concluded those ties could not justify continued participation in a caucus while what he viewed as fundamental disagreements persisted.
What This Means
The resignation underscores how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has begun affecting relationships between the United States and its European allies in concrete institutional ways. Several Western governments, including Spain, have adopted more critical stances toward Israeli military operations, citing humanitarian and international law concerns—positions that have drawn both international support and criticism.
Giménez’s step marks one of the clearest examples of how these policy differences are now reshaping the formal diplomatic infrastructure between Washington and longtime partners. The move signals that disagreements over Middle East policy may continue influencing which congressional relationships lawmakers choose to maintain, potentially widening divisions across the Atlantic on one of the world’s most contentious geopolitical issues.
