Sánchez increases pressure on Israel as the right accuses him of "political violence."

Barcelona / MadridThe Suspension of the Vuelta following pro-Palestinian protests This weekend's protests in Madrid have led to a new political clash between the Spanish government and the opposition. While on Sunday, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez expressed his "admiration" for the demonstrations, and the PP harshly criticized his remarks, today, Monday, the leader of the Popular Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, went even further, describing the pro-Palestinian protests as "political violence" and holding him "responsible." The PP's criticism did not make Sánchez back down, and he reiterated his support in a speech in Congress before the PSOE deputies, senators, and MEPs. On the contrary, the Socialist leader went a step further, calling for Israel to be banned from all international competitions "until the barbarity stops," such as Eurovision. Sánchez, therefore, is doubling down once again.

"Why was Russia expelled after the invasion of Ukraine, but Israel wasn't expelled after the invasion of Gaza?" he asked. And he has called on sports organizations to reflect on whether it is "ethical" for Israel to use platforms like the Vuelta a España to "whitewash" itself. Sánchez has criticized the existence of a double standard between the two countries, which the Spanish president has lumped together. At Eurovision, where the Spanish government is also pushing to veto Israel's participationIt's been three editions since Russia was expelled. The debate has spread to other competitions such as the Tour de France, which starts next year in Barcelona. The Comuns (Spanish National Assembly) have called on the Socialist mayor, Jaume Collboni, to cancel the start if the Israeli team is not expelled. Existing collaborations with Israeli researchers and universities are also in the spotlight, although the government defends, for now, adopting measures without "ruining" them.

Sánchez's move has ignited Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called the Spanish Prime Minister an "anti-Semite and a liar." "Did Israel invade Gaza on October 7th, or was it the terrorist state Hamas that invaded Israel and committed the worst massacre against the Jews since the Holocaust?" he posed in a social media message reported by Europa Press. The International Cycling Union, for its part, also criticized the incidents and Sánchez's reaction, questioning Spain's ability to host major sporting events "under safe conditions."

The PP and "political violence"

The PP (People's Party) came out strongly against Sánchez's position. In a speech at the party's board meeting, Feijóo accused him of having "encouraged" the protests, which he considered "political violence." A concept that also stemmed from the murder of the ultraconservative American agitator Charlie Kirk, whom he mentioned just before speaking about the Vuelta a España (Spanish Nationalist Revolution). "It is political violence to prevent a sporting competition from being completed," he insisted, showing off the tougher rhetoric he is applying with the rise of Vox in the polls. The main figures of the Madrid PP—the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the president of the regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso—have attacked Sánchez even more harshly. The PP leader, who went so far as to say in an interview on EsRadio that Madrid gave the impression of "Sarajevo at war" and a place where "Jews are persecuted," also specifically attacked the Spanish government delegation in Madrid, claiming that the security deployment for the protests was less than promised.

She defended the same position to Almeida during a news breakfast: "[The Spanish government] has tied the hands and feet of the state's security forces." "It cannot be naturalized that former ministers and government partners have promoted, and even participated in, acts in which police officers have been attacked," Feijóo emphasized in the same forum as Almeida, where he expressed the discontent of some members of the police force. Unions such as Jupol have already called for the resignation of President Sánchez, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Spanish government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín. Vox, for its part, has threatened Sánchez, Marlaska, and Martín with legal action. In fact, the national spokesperson, Jose Antonio Fúster, has accused the PSOE leader of sending "savage street terrorists to disrupt" the Vuelta, led by the Spanish government delegate, whom they consider a "Batasun-like henchman."

The Spanish government defends the protests

The Spanish government has refuted the PP's accusations of violence. "Except for a few specific moments, the protest was peaceful," the executive delegate in Madrid explained in statements to SER radio. Martín, in fact, accused Ayuso of "not making things easy" after taking a photo with the Israel-Premier Tech team, which she supported. The image also drew criticism from Podemos co-spokesperson Pablo Fernández, who stated that the Madrid president "is disgusting" for her actions in "whitewashing genocide." While the purple party criticized the police action in a line contrary to that of the PP and Vox, that is, for having exercised "repression" against the protesters, the Minister of the Interior defended, on the one hand, that the police deployment was "absolutely sufficient" and, on the other, that the National Police acted with ".

As for Junts, for whom the debate on Israel and Palestine is thorny, the spokesperson for the group in the Parliament, Mònica Sales, has criticized the "double standards" of the leaders who "fuel" the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the Cycling Tour and, some time ago, "endorsed" the endorsement. of October. In any case, Sales defended "without fissures" and "with emphatic" the right to demonstrate at a Junts meeting in Waterloo, which, of course, she stressed, "cannot be à la carte", Gerard Fageda reports.