The Spanish right embraces Israel even when it persecutes Catholics

BarcelonaFor the first time in centuries, Catholics have been victims of a total veto by the Israeli police to the Palm Sunday mass in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, under the excuse of security due to the war in the Middle East. The next day, Benjamin Netanyahu's executive had to back down, after an avalanche of international criticism proliferated, from the French and Spanish presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez, but also from the far-right flank, with the offensive from the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Hungarian leader, Viktor Orbán. Vox responded at night by demanding explanations from Israel – without Meloni's belligerence – but the PP has opted for absolute silence, as has Aliança Catalana – despite the fact that they all boast of defending Christian traditions. In turn, Junts has also not wanted to comment. What is happening on the right and why is it not raising its voice against Israel even when it persecutes Catholics?

The PP has opted for silence on the matter even in press conferences: "We have a president, who is the president of the [Spanish] government, who does not congratulate Christmas but does congratulate Ramadan," replied the spokesperson in the Senate, Alicia García, this Monday, adding that, with his message on social media, Sánchez was "seeking redemption because Easter week, with the parade of Ábalos and all the others in the courts, will turn into a week of penance for him." When asked again, she said that she "had already answered." In the same vein, the spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, has stated on X that "anything goes" for Sánchez to "sow more hatred" because "he does not defend Christians." Without criticizing Israel, the PP has only generically recalled an initiative of its own in the lower house in defense of persecuted Christians. Similar to what the Catalan PP has done when its general secretary, Santi Rodríguez, opted in a press conference to "lament that these circumstances have occurred and that this festivity could not be celebrated normally," although "the situation in the Middle East is also not normal." The PP has not even wanted to exert pressure.

Without the belligerence and urgency with which it faces other situations, Vox did indeed speak out, to whom an anti-Zionist critical sector led by former vice-president Juan García-Gallardo reproaches a cowardly attitude towards Israel: "The Israeli government must explain and correct what happened in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We can understand that the situation in Jerusalem is very complicated with the closure of sacred sites of the three religions, but it must be clear that Christians maintain their religious freedom intact and that their security will be sought despite Islamist attacksThe thorn in the side

Now, the Vox MEP Hermann Tertsch maintained a radical stance, even contradicting Orbán, the main European reference for his party, saying that all of this was "a propaganda operation against Israel by both enemies of Christians and Jews," citing Sánchez. He, along with Juan Carlos Girauta, who has been paid by Israeli lobbies like ACOM, are the most Zionist members of Vox. Vox does not usually speak of "Judeo-Christian tradition," although Netanyahu, Donald Trump, and far-right allies like Alianza do, inspired by Steve Bannon, the American leader's guru in his early days. But this term is also repeatedly used by the traditional right, as Isabel Díaz Ayuso does.

In any case, the fact that Pedro Sánchez has been the one to come out in defense of Christians confirms that "the Spanish right has more than one problem because it is the one that should have denounced this," according to a communication totem of the far-right like José Javier Esparza, a journalist for El Toro TV, formerly Intereconomía.

Orriols admires Netanyahu

The far-right, and in a way the PP, places Islam in a separate bag from Judaism and Christianity. The Judeo-Christian invention has been used to unite Christianity and Judaism under the common interests of the Western umbrella in contrast to the Islamic world. However, the three monotheistic religions share the Abrahamic trunk, that is, Abraham as a common prophet, and the confrontation between them is rather for political reasons.

In Catalonia, Aliança has also remained silent in the face of Israel's abuse, which is not surprising given the Zionism it advocates, even with the fact that Silvia Orriols has said she "admires" Netanyahu. A fact, however, that is combined with the defense of Christian traditions, in a partial way. In parallel, Junts also does not plan to make a public statement on this matter, according to consulted sources. It should be remembered that the conflict between Israel and Palestine causes division within the party, given that there is a part that is Zionist, but a majority sector has condemned Israel's "genocide" – even the national leadership – despite the rejection of this term by the head of the international sectorial.

The PP does condemn the death penalty

On the other hand, the PP did criticize this Tuesday the approval by the Israeli Parliament of the death penalty for terrorism offenses committed by Palestinians: the spokesperson in the lower house, Ester Muñoz, said that her party is "manifestly against it" because "the State is not God nor should it put itself in the position of another murderer who kills someone". At the same time, Junts deputies like Agustí Colomines have expressed their rejection of this measure, saying that "it is intolerable" because it is "discriminatory" and because "it violates fundamental rights" of Palestinians. More forceful was Sánchez, who stressed that "the Spanish government condemns the death penalty against Palestinians" and pointed out that it is "an asymmetric measure that would not be applied to Israelis who committed the same crimes". "It is one more step towards apartheid. The world cannot remain silent," he snapped.