Israel FM says Spain PM partner in 'incitement to Jewish genocide'
Spain's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood has provoked a furious response from Israel, especially from their foreign minister, who's published a flamenco-themed Hamas video and compared Spain's Labour Minister to Iran's supreme leader.
Spain, Ireland and Norway are formally recognising a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a decision slammed by Israel as a "reward" for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.
Last week, Sanchez's far-left deputy Yolanda Díaz stoked the fire even more when she hailed Palestinian statehood recognition saying: "We cannot stop. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea", which Israel's Madrid envoy denounced as a "clear call for the elimination of Israel".
The slogan refers to the British mandate borders of Palestine, which stretched from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean before Israel was created in 1948.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz went even further.
"Sánchez, as long as you don't fire your deputy and you recognise a Palestinian state, you are participating in the incitement to commit genocide and war crimes against the Jewish people," he wrote on X, alongside a phot collage of Díaz next to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Hamas's Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar.
Khamenei @khamenei_ir, Sinwar y la Vicepresidenta de España @yolanda_diaz_ - llaman a la desaparición del Estado de Israel y el establecimiento de un estado terrorista islámico palestino desde el río hasta el mar.
Presidente @sanchezcastejon - al no despedir a @yolanda_diaz_ y… pic.twitter.com/Gq4mcRlndo
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 28, 2024
On Sunday, Katz also posted a video on X splicing footage of the October 7th attacks with flamenco dancing, saying: "Sánchez: Hamas thanks you for your service".
.@sanchezcastejon, Hamas thanks you for your service. pic.twitter.com/Pkdp5diHRX
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 26, 2024
Spain condemned the post as "scandalous and revolting".
On Monday, Katz ordered the first of a series of "preliminary punitive measures", ordering Spain's Jerusalem consulate to stop offering consular services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
A day earlier, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles accused Israel of committing "a real genocide" in Gaza.
Until now, such language had only been heard from far-left ministers of Sanchez's coalition but not from a member of his Socialist party.
Israel's FM has also told the Spanish government that "the days of the Inquisition are over" and that "the Jewish people have a sovereign and independent state, and no one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence: those who harm us, we will harm them in return".
Last week, Israeli MP Sharren Haskel, a parliamentarian from the Tikva Hadashá (New Hope) party, a partner in Netanyahu's government, urged the Israeli Parliament to recognise the independence of eight autonomous communities from Spain: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Andalusia, Valencia, Aragón, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands
Haskel's comments were clearly said in response to the recognition of the State of Palestine on May 28th by the Spanish Government.
Comments
See Also
Spain, Ireland and Norway are formally recognising a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a decision slammed by Israel as a "reward" for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.
Last week, Sanchez's far-left deputy Yolanda Díaz stoked the fire even more when she hailed Palestinian statehood recognition saying: "We cannot stop. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea", which Israel's Madrid envoy denounced as a "clear call for the elimination of Israel".
The slogan refers to the British mandate borders of Palestine, which stretched from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean before Israel was created in 1948.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz went even further.
"Sánchez, as long as you don't fire your deputy and you recognise a Palestinian state, you are participating in the incitement to commit genocide and war crimes against the Jewish people," he wrote on X, alongside a phot collage of Díaz next to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Hamas's Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar.
Khamenei @khamenei_ir, Sinwar y la Vicepresidenta de España @yolanda_diaz_ - llaman a la desaparición del Estado de Israel y el establecimiento de un estado terrorista islámico palestino desde el río hasta el mar.
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 28, 2024
Presidente @sanchezcastejon - al no despedir a @yolanda_diaz_ y… pic.twitter.com/Gq4mcRlndo
On Sunday, Katz also posted a video on X splicing footage of the October 7th attacks with flamenco dancing, saying: "Sánchez: Hamas thanks you for your service".
.@sanchezcastejon, Hamas thanks you for your service. pic.twitter.com/Pkdp5diHRX
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 26, 2024
Spain condemned the post as "scandalous and revolting".
On Monday, Katz ordered the first of a series of "preliminary punitive measures", ordering Spain's Jerusalem consulate to stop offering consular services to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
A day earlier, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles accused Israel of committing "a real genocide" in Gaza.
Until now, such language had only been heard from far-left ministers of Sanchez's coalition but not from a member of his Socialist party.
Israel's FM has also told the Spanish government that "the days of the Inquisition are over" and that "the Jewish people have a sovereign and independent state, and no one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence: those who harm us, we will harm them in return".
Last week, Israeli MP Sharren Haskel, a parliamentarian from the Tikva Hadashá (New Hope) party, a partner in Netanyahu's government, urged the Israeli Parliament to recognise the independence of eight autonomous communities from Spain: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Andalusia, Valencia, Aragón, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands
Haskel's comments were clearly said in response to the recognition of the State of Palestine on May 28th by the Spanish Government.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.