Spain rejects Israeli 'falsehoods' following dispute

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Oct 2023 06:11
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The Spanish Foreign Ministry stood in support of political parties' ability to express positions.

The secretary general of Podemos and acting minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2023, Ione Belarra (left), and Podemos spokesperson, Isa Serra (right), during a meeting at the Nuevo Teatro Alcala, Spain, on October 7, 2023. (AFP)

"Israel's" embassy in Spain claimed that Spanish officials had aligned themselves with "terrorism (of) ISIS-type." This comes after Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra said that "Israel" was conducting a "genocide attempt" and called for Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.

The Israeli occupation embassy also urged the acting Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to condemn the unnamed ministers' comments, alleging that they have threatened the safety of Jews in Spain.

Spain's Foreign Ministry said that the Israeli remarks were based on "falsehoods", reiterating its support for any "political leader" expressing their stances "as representative of a political party in a democracy such as Spain's."

Responding to the occupation embassy's comments, Belarra said that remaining silent on the Netanyahu government's crimes, which include "massive bombings, water, and electricity cuts," means complicity with terror.

Colombia kicks out Israeli envoy

Israeli actions in Gaza have also received condemnation from Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, who denounced the genocide of Gazans.

After a spat with "Israel", the country ordered the Israeli occupation ambassador to Colombia, Gali Dagan, to leave after he criticized Petro's support of Palestine and Gaza.

Colombian Foreign Minister, Alvaro Leyva, expressed that the Israeli envoy should "at a minimum, apologize and leave" after lashing out at Petro on social media, calling his remarks "rude", and adding they were a "shame".

Petfro had previously announced his intention to send humanitarian aid from Colombia to Gazans, whom he stressed are suffering "under a cruel siege exacerbated by the Israeli aggression."

He demanded that healthcare workers be protected after Israeli occupation forces deliberately targeted emergency workers and hospitals on multiple occasions. The Colombian President emphasized that such attacks be condemned by the European Union, stressing the need for the bloc to uphold international law.

In a post on X, Petro accused the Israeli occupation Security Minister Yoav Gallant of utilizing language about Gazans similar to what Nazis used regarding Jews. In response, the Israeli occupation halted security exports to the country.

Ironically, even after Petro blatantly meant through his statement that Nazi tactics and language should not be repeated, the Israeli Foreign Ministry still managed to accuse him of anti-Semitism.

Petro was not the only leader to draw parallels between Nazis and the Israeli occupation forces. During a summit in Kyrgyzstan on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned "Israel" against implementing a siege on Gaza reminiscent of the Leningrad siege by Nazi Germany.

He expressed concerns that a ground invasion in Gaza would result in an unacceptably high number of civilian casualties.

The latest toll announced by the Ministry of Health in Gaza was 2778 killed in around 10 days of aggression. The number is expected to grow as "Israel" continues to cut off essential supplies to the completely besieged Strip while simultaneously targeting civilians with thousands of bombs.