A video of Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz released on Friday in which she’s seen chanting the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a saying that effectively calls for the elimination of Israel.
In response, Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued a harsh statement on Friday, calling her an "ignorant, hate-filled individual." He added, "I have decided to sever the connection between Spain's representation in Israel and the Palestinians, and to prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank.”
He added, "If this ignorant, hate-filled individual wants to understand what radical Islam truly seeks, she should study the 700 years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus — today's Spain."
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem employs 30 workers compared to 13 at the embassy in Tel Aviv. This indicates the immense importance of its connection with the Palestinians, which the Foreign Ministry now aims to stop. Similar steps are also expected against Norway.
In the video, Díaz said that Spain must press the European Union (EU) to cancel all agreements with Israel, which she accused of committing "war crimes" and "genocide" in the Gaza Strip. She added that the EU should support the lawsuits filed against Israel at The Hague. The EU’s Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, said on Friday that recognizing a Palestinian state "is not a gift to Hamas, quite the contrary."
"The Palestinian Authority is not Hamas," Borrell said, noting there are significant disputes between the parties. "Every time someone makes the decision to support a Palestinian state, the reaction of Israel is to transform it in an antisemitic attack." He added that the EU has already held discussions with the Palestinian Authority, provided it with funding, and met with its senior officials.