“Open Antisemitism”: Spanish Government Abandons Israel—Again

A little over a year after his government was praised by Hamas for recognising a Palestinian state, Spanish Socialist Pedro Sánchez announced nine measures on Monday, September 8th,  which he said were aimed at stopping “the genocide in Gaza.” 

Israeli officials argued the steps announced are actually revealing of the Spanish government’s antisemitism.

The measures include an arms embargo on Israel and a ban on vessels carrying fuel for the Israeli military from using Spanish ports.

Sánchez said in a statement that these steps showed “Spain is and will be on the right side of history.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was quick to respond in a lengthy post, pointing to a “lack of historical awareness of Spain’s crimes against the Jewish people” and accusing Sánchez of acting against Israel in order to “distract from serious corruption scandals” and from his administration’s “ties to dark tyrannical governments—from the Hetul regime in Iran to the Maduro government in Venezuela.”

Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s conservative VOX party, agreed that the PM is “allying with Hamas to cover up” corruption scandals at home.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s government says it will report members of Sánchez’s administration to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Sa’ar accused some of these of “open antisemitism,” saying that while “not all criticism of Israeli policy is antisemitism … when it is characterised by demonisation, delegitimisation and double standards, it is antisemitism.” He added

Statements by members of the Spanish government are tainted with all of these.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump said on Sunday that a deal with Hamas for the release of all the remaining Israeli hostages could be agreed “soon.” He had earlier issued what he called his “last warning” to the terror group.