Vox President Santiago Abascal traveled to Israel on Tuesday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The leader of the far right attended the meeting on the same day as Spain has announced the recognition of the Palestinian state and just 48 hours after another massacre in the Gaza Strip, this time in the Rafah refugee camp, killing at least 45 people.
A few hours after the Council of Ministers in which the government took the step announced a week ago, the far-right party released a statement, accompanied by a photo between Abascal and Netanyahu. In the note, the group assured that Abascal praised his country's “determination” against Hamas to the Israeli president, while at the same time criticizing the government's president, Pedro Sánchez, for recognizing Palestine.
During the meeting, which lasted more than an hour in the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, according to Vox, Abascal conveyed to Netanyahu his party's support for the people of Israel, that it recognizes “the right to defend themselves” that Pedro Sánchez does not represent Spain.
As reported by Vox, Abascal has denounced that the president's government is “covering up his cases of political and economic corruption with the recognition of the Palestinian State” and with the “attacks” on the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. The Vox leader has assured that “as long as there is even one hostage in the hands of Hamas” and “until the terrorist organization disappears,” no government nor “no one has the right to ask Israel to abandon its self-defense operations.” ”
From Vox they have also pointed out that the Israeli Prime Minister has described the defense of the State of Israel by Abascal, who has already visited Israel twice during the war in the Gaza Strip, as “exemplary” and has deplored the “immense drunkenness.” 'that dominates media coverage of the conflict in Western countries.'
Abascal traveled to Israel along with some of his associates. Also in the delegation were the president of the Disenso Foundation, Jorge Martín Frías, as well as the MEP Hermann Tertsch and the person responsible for international relations for Vox, Gabriel Ariza, as explained by the party itself.
It is not the first time that Vox has expressed strong sympathy with Israel's government, despite international criticism of its attacks on Gaza. On May 18, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight against Anti-Semitism, Amichai Chikli, took part in the event organized by Vox, Europa Viva 24, together with other politicians from the international far right, such as the President of Argentina, Javier. Milei.
Government criticism of the trip
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares assured the 24-hour TVE channel that Abascal “embraces the policy of hoaxes and falsehoods of the most extreme elements of the Netanyahu government.” “Not only does it not fall within the consensus of Spanish society, but it does not fit with peace or even the slightest humanity,” Albares criticized Abascal's trip to Israel. The criticism has also been extended to the PP. According to Albares, the main opposition party has returned “to its roots, to ignoring the most fundamental aspects of international law,” recalling that the PP “voted in favor of the recognition of Palestine in 2014.”
“Abascal's photo will haunt him all his life and Feijó's silence will haunt his,” said the second vice president of the government and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, via criticism of Israel. the use of the slogan 'from the river to the sea', a phrase that the Jewish state has censored as an anti-Semitic attack.
Abascal's trip to Palestine comes at a time of maximum international demand for Israel since the offensive against Gaza began after last October's Hamas attacks. Since then, more than 36,000 civilians have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory. Criticism has increased in recent days following new military movements against the attack on a refugee camp in Rafah.
In recent weeks, two decisions have also been taken against Israel by various international organizations. On the one hand, the Public Prosecution Service of the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants against Netanyahu, his Defense Minister and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. On the other hand, the UN Court, the International Court of Justice, anddemanded that Israel not attack Rafahsomething that finally happened a few hours later.
Ireland and Norway have joined Spain in recognizing the Palestinian State. A recognition that, in the Spanish case, means the designation of East Jerusalem as the capital of the country and the restoration of the borders marked by the UN resolutions of 1967. This recognition, supported by the government's partners in the Congres, has been rejected by the PP opposition and from Vox itself, who has now staged it with the trip to Palestine.
This decision led to an increase in diplomatic tensions with several attacks from the Israeli executive branch. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday accused Spanish government President Pedro Sánchez of being “complicit in inciting the murder of the Jewish people” over recognize the Palestinian state and for not firing Vice President Yolanda Díaz when he said that “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.”
In a message on the social network and with the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
The Spanish government has responded to this criticism by claiming that “no one will intimidate us”, in the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares. The head of Spanish diplomacy urged Israel on Monday to comply with the International Court of Justice's order to stop attacks in Rafah.