The Government of Catalonia announced on Thursday, May 22, the immediate closure of its trade office in Tel Aviv over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, according to Aljazeera.
Wide International Criticism
This remarkable move comes amid mounting international criticism of Israel’s heavy airstrikes and its blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
These genocidal actions have caused widespread calls across Europe to press on Israel to end the war and allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians who are suffering unthinkable conditions.
Eurovision
Furthermore, the Catalan government has also criticized Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
It described it as “double standards” in addressing the genocide in Gaza, where “basic rights are being violated.”
“We are fully committed to human rights, and this double standard regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision weakens us,” Catalan Government Spokesperson Sílvia Paneque stated during a press conference.
A Call for Exclusion
In this context, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the Eurovision song contest should exclude Israel over its war in Gaza.
Sanchez has also expressed solidarity with “the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment.”
Sanchez’s remarks come after protests against Israeli participation marked last weekend’s extravaganza in Switzerland.
Russians have not been allowed to take part in the competition because of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine.
“Therefore, Israel shouldn’t either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture,” Sanchez said at an event in Madrid.
During his speech, the Spanish PM stressed Spain’s commitment to applying the international law and human rights nothing that “Europe’s should be too.”
“Genocidal State”
Last week, Sanchez called Israel a “genocidal state” during his speech in the Spanish parliament, stating that Madrid “does not do business” with such a country.
The PM’s remarks came as a response to a provocative comment from an anti-Israel member of parliament who condemned Spain’s trade relations with what he called the “genocide state” of Israel.
Sanchez’s comments sparked anger in Israel, prompting Israel’s Foreign Ministry to summon the Spanish Ambassador, Ana Salomon, for a formal reprimand scheduled for Thursday in Jerusalem.
“Following the severe remarks made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish ambassador to Israel has been summoned for a reprimand meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem tomorrow,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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