Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called for Israel to be banned from international sporting competitions while it wages war on Gaza.

“Why was Russia expelled [from global sporting events] after the invasion of Ukraine, but Israel allowed to remain after the invasion of Gaza?” Sánchez asked rhetorically during a meeting of Socialist Party lawmakers in the Spanish parliament.

“While barbarism persists, Israel cannot use international events to whitewash its presence,” he added.

The prime minister’s statement landed amid an escalating diplomatic furor with Israel, which is at a zenith after Sánchez expressed support for pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating against an Israeli team’s participation in the Vuelta a España cycling race.

After those protesters — contesting the Israel-Premier Tech team taking part in the prestigious three-week race — forced the early conclusion of Sunday’s stage by blocking the roads into Madrid, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Sánchez and his government of “inciting” the “mobs” and being an “embarrassment.”

The prime minister was also criticized by conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who said the government put “the lives of police officers and the safety of the cyclists” at risk by publicly expressing its support for the demonstrators.

Sánchez on Monday insisted that he “always rejects violence” and has “profound admiration and respect for our athletes.” But, he added, “we also have immense respect and profound admiration for a Spanish society that mobilizes against injustice and defends its ideals peacefully.”

A short time later, Sa’ar called Sánchez a “liar” in a social media post, and additionally branded the prime minister “and his Communist government … antisemites and enemies of the truth.”

Just last week, Spain imposed tough new measures on Israel — among them a permanent weapons embargo — which heightened tensions between the two countries.

The prime minister’s proposal to ban Israeli athletes from participating in sporting events comes three weeks after UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin — one of the most powerful sports officials in Europe and one of the few to comment publicly on the issue — said he was not “a supporter of banning the athletes,” in response to a question about Israeli teams’ ongoing participation in European football events.

Sánchez’s statements also coincide with a broader debate on whether Israel should be allowed to participate in cultural events, among them the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Spain’s Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun on Monday said the country’s public broadcaster should follow Ireland and the Netherlands and boycott next year’s edition of the popular event if Israel is permitted to compete.