2023-11-25 12:02:59
While the rest of the world waited for the release of the hostages at the Gaza crossing in Rafah on Friday, open diplomatic conflict broke out between Spain and Israel. Israel and Spain summoned each other’s ambassadors to consultations to convey their disapproval. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wanted to build a “bridge to peace” together with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. But in Israel, both Europeans left behind a political mess.
Hans-Christian Rößler
Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid; previously correspondent in Israel.
At the end of their trip, both had come to the Gaza Strip border near Rafah, shortly before the first hostages were released from Hamas control. There, Sánchez repeated for the last time the message of his trip, as he had previously done in Jerusalem: “The indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, including thousands of boys and girls, is completely unacceptable,” said Sánchez.
Belgium’s head of government also criticizes Israel
Israel has the right to defend itself, but “within the limits set by international humanitarian law. “That is not the case,” added the Spanish head of government, whose country also holds the EU Council Presidency and who was also traveling as an EU representative. De Croo, who will take over the EU presidency in January, said it was unacceptable for “a society to be destroyed in this way”.
In Rafah, where the whole of Israel was looking forward to the first images of the released hostages, the allegations seemed particularly inappropriate to many. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted promptly. He condemned statements by the two Europeans “in the strongest possible terms” because they did not attribute to Hamas “full responsibility for the crimes against humanity it has committed: massacres of Israeli citizens and the use of Palestinians as human shields.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen condemned “the false claims that support terrorism.” He also summoned the Belgian ambassador to explain the statements made by their heads of government. According to press reports, Belgium asked the Israeli ambassador for a clarifying conversation.
Madrid rejects allegations
In Madrid, the government did not let these accusations sit. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Israeli ambassador on Friday evening. The accusations from Israel were “completely false, misplaced and unacceptable,” he said: The entire Spanish government immediately condemned the Hamas terrorist attack, expressed solidarity with all Israeli victims and called for the unconditional release of all hostages. In Madrid it is said that efforts were made from the outset to achieve a “balanced” position in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, the first diplomatic crisis between Israel and Spain had already arisen in October: several incumbent ministers of the left-wing coalition partner “Sumar” had accused Israel of “war crimes” and “genocide” before the Gaza offensive began, without mentioning the Israeli victims .
Sánchez has been trying for weeks to convince his European partners to take a clearer position, to convene a Middle East peace conference soon and to revive the two-state solution. In Rafah he now announced that, if necessary, Spain would recognize the Palestinian state on its own.
But Netanyahu rejected the advances of his European visitors in a very sharp speech on Thursday. He accused Hamas of committing genocide and trying to destroy Israel, which abides by international law. “They are the new Nazis,” he said. We have to stop Hamas together, like Adolf Hitler’s allies once did in Europe. At that time there was no reduced Nazi presence left in Europe. This also applies to Hamas in Gaza today.
Conservatives: Sánchez insulted Israel
On his first trip abroad as re-elected head of government, the socialist Sánchez was unable to use his “frank words”, as described in Madrid, to persuade the Israeli partners to rethink and to recommend himself as a Middle East mediator with the EU behind him can collect. The Israeli government announced that it would not take part in the foreign ministers’ meeting of the “Union for the Mediterranean” in Barcelona on Monday, which the Spanish government has high hopes for. The Mediterranean Union includes all EU members and almost all Mediterranean countries.
In Spain, criticism came from the conservative PP. The head of government had “insulted” Israel and was making consensus in the EU more difficult. The newspaper “EI País” supported Sánchez on Saturday. Netanyahu would only accept a “blank check” for his military actions, commented Spain’s largest newspaper.
Hans-Christian Rößler, Madrid Published/Updated: Recommendations: 101 Hans-Christian Rößler, Madrid Published/Updated: Recommendations: 45 Hans-Christian Rößler, Madrid Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5
The decision of the Barcelona city council under the leadership of the socialist mayor Jaume Collboni threw a spotlight on the anti-Israel mood in Spain. It suspended all “institutional relations” with Israel until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Israel respects the fundamental rights of the Palestinians.
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