The Spanish politician and former minister, Ione Belarra, accused Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of being a “war criminal” over the atrocities in Gaza.
Ione Belarre: Advocate for Palestine
Ione Belarra served as the Minister of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda in the Spanish Government from 2021 to 2023. She is currently the Secretary-General of Spain’s left-wing Podemos Party.
Belarra has been a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, accusing the country of committing “planned genocide” against the Palestinian people.
She also called the European Union (EU) countries to pressure Israel by cutting off diplomatic relations, imposing economic sanctions and arms embargo, and bringing Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Israeli Genocide against Palestinians
In one of the Podemos Party’s rallies, Belarre lashed out against Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.
“We must raise our voices from the first moment to say that what is happening in Palestine is not a war or self-defense. It is genocide. It is ethnic cleansing. What Israel is doing is the extermination of the Palestinian people,” she said.
War Criminal
Belarre accused Netanyahu of being a war criminal, calling Spain to follow the path of Latin countries which have cut off diplomatic ties with Israel.
“I want to ask the Prime Minister to follow the example of Bolivia, Colombia and Chile and immediately sever diplomatic relations with Israel and to tell Netanyahu he is a murderer and a war criminal and we don’t want any relations with you,” she said.
Boycott Israeli Weapons
Moreover, she called on her country to stop purchasing weapons from Israel. “I want to ask the Prime Minister to stop buying weapons from Israel and those who work to exterminate the Palestinian people,” she noted.
“In the last year alone, Spain bought weapons and military equipment from Israel worth €300 million and practically committed to €700 million worth of weapons in the coming years. Let’s stop purchasing weapons from Israel once and for all,” Belarre added.
