Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has earned the esteem of much international left-leaning opinion thanks to his stance on Palestine, which is among the least bad among all Western governments. But his powerful rhetoric contrasts with his insufficient concrete measures to really act against the genocide in Gaza and other crimes committed by Israel.

This week’s assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla was a case in point. During the final days of the flotilla’s journey, as its fate drew ever-wider media attention in Spain, Sánchez emphasized the peaceful and humanitarian nature of the mission — insisting that it did not pose a “threat” to Israel. He even sent a military ship to “assist” the flotilla, following in the footsteps of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni — herself forced to act by massive mobilizations, including strikes, in Italy. However, as the boats approached Gazan waters, the Spanish premier’s apparent firmness turned into weakness.

When the flotilla was just hours away from reaching the (illegally) declared maritime exclusion zone decreed by Israel, the Spanish government clarified that the military ship would not approach — and asked the flotilla to stop, emulating the far-right Meloni. This buried any hope that the Spanish government would intervene to defend the more than sixty Spanish citizens participating in the flotilla from Israeli attack.