The Spanish right embraces Israel even as 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 pretext of security due to the war in the Middle East. The next day, Benjamin Netanyahu's executive had to backtrack, 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 Alianza Catalana – despite the fact that they all boast of defending Christian traditions. For their part, Junts has also not wanted to comment. What is happening on the right and why does it not raise 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," responded this Monday the spokesperson in the Senate, Alicia García, who added 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 she had "already answered." In the same vein, the spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, 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. Something similar to what the Catalan PP has done when its general secretary, Santi Rodríguez, opted in a press conference to "regret 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 a critical anti-Zionist 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 is very complicated in Jerusalem with the closure of sacred sites of the three religions, but it must be made clear that Christians maintain their religious freedom intact and that their safety is ensured despite Islamist attacks", said the formation in a statement on X. How was the movement initiated? According to party sources consulted by ARA, despite their alliance with Israel, they could not "stand aside" under any circumstances. Not only that, but Santiago Abascal's leadership "spoke" with their Israeli allies in the government led by Likud and they made sure that they "would issue a statement to acknowledge the error", as they did.

The 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 it was "a propaganda operation against Israel by both the enemies of Christians and Jews," citing Sánchez. He, along with Juan Carlos Girauta, who has received money from 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, inspired by Steve Bannon, the American leader's guru in his early days, do. But this term is also repeatedly used by the traditional right, as Isabel Díaz Ayuso does.

In any case, the fact that it was Pedro Sánchez who came out to defend 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 from El Toro TV, formerly Intereconomía.

Orriols admires Netanyahu

The far-right, and in a way the PP, puts Islam in a separate category from Judaism and Christianity. The Judeo-Christian invention has been used to unite Christianity and Judaism under the common interests of the umbrella of the West in opposition to the Islamic world. However, the three monotheistic religions share the Abrahamic trunk, meaning Abraham as a common prophet, and the confrontation between them is more 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 to the point where 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 in 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.