The surprise attack launched by the Hamas terrorist organization against Israeli territory and the subsequent declaration of a state of war by Tel Aviv has once again divided the Spanish political forces. From the resounding rejection of the violence carried out by the armed wing of the Islamist organization, to the equidistant calls in favor of peace, to the condemnation of those attacked and support for the attackers. The range of reactions reveals once again the divergences that exist within the coalition government and between the PSOE and its radical left allies in matters of foreign policy and that, in this case, are expanded contaminated by the defense what the forces included in Sumar and the independence movement do about the right to self-determination.
The acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, assured that he continued “with dismay” the “terrorist attack against Israel” and expressed his solidarity with the victims. In a message on the X network, he “roundly condemned terrorism” while demanding an immediate end to “indiscriminate violence against the civilian population.” Sánchez also affirmed Spain’s commitment “to regional stability” but differed from the main allied countries that, in their respective statements, added Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself. France, Germany, Italy, Holland, the United Kingdom, the United States, NATO, the EU and even Ukraine insisted on this point.
Also the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, expressed his condemnation of the massive attack by Hamas. The popular leader declared himself “shaken after the indiscriminate bombing of the civilian population.” Feijóo emphasized in his message that “terrorism is everyone’s enemy and must be defeated.” The president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, expressed his “support for Israel after the very serious terrorist attack” and added his rejection “of the sowers of hate and those who, through Western politics, protect them.”
The condemnations of those responsible for the main parties veered towards equidistance with the message of the leader of Sumar and acting second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, who after declaring herself “dismayed” and expressing her “solidarity with all the victims” advocated for a ” just peace that ends the occupation and that the Palestinian people can live with dignity.
The voices included in his coalition were much more emphatic with messages of condemnation against Israel and encouragement for the Palestinian side. Thus, the representative of Más País, Íñigo Errejón, demanded the “cessation of all violence” in the occupied territories in Palestine and on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel and made a “call to the State of Israel, as the main responsible party, to compliance with United Nations resolutions”.
The Sumar deputy and Sahrawi activist, Tesh Sidi, also spoke. “Today and always with Palestine,” she stated. Sidi, far from regretting the attack perpetrated by Hamas against the civilian population, advocated defending the right to self-determination of peoples and stressed in a message published on social networks that “Palestinians are murdered day and night and no one condemns that”. Her message, bordering on justification for the attack, immediately received a barrage of reproaches. Several hours later, the deputy clarified her “condemnation of all atrocities against the civilian population” and added: “Now against the Israeli population but for decades against the Palestinians.” She also warned that Israel’s response to the attack “will be cruel.”
The BNG representative in Congress, Nestor Rego, followed a similar line to that of Sidi. He, too, did not condemn the Hamas attack. In his message on the social network
Gabriel Rufian, ERC spokesperson in Congress, preferred to echo the message issued by the youth of his party demanding “to put an end to the violations of human rights against the Palestinian population.” Rufian also supported the message of Sumar MP Tesh Sidi.
From Podemos, its spokesperson Isa Serra called for a “ceasefire” emphasizing that “war is never the solution.” Serra advocated ending the “violent occupation of Palestinian territory by the State of Israel.” And he concluded: “All our solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
