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POLITICS

Spain looks to avoid diplomatic spat by ‘working’ with Israel

Spain said Tuesday it "would work" with Israel to maintain good ties after the Israeli embassy accused some Spanish ministers of siding with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Spain looks to avoid diplomatic spat by 'working' with Israel
Protesters hold a Spain's flag with the writing 'Israel you are not alone' during a demonstration in support of Israel on Sant Jaume square in Barcelona on October 15th 2023. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

Israel’s embassy in Spain said Monday it was “absolutely immoral” that  “certain elements within the Spanish government have opted to align themselves with this ISIS-type terrorism,” in a reference to Hamas and the Islamic State group.

The remarks endangered the safety of Jewish communities in Spain, it added in a statement.

READ MORE: Israeli Embassy accuses Spanish government of ‘aligning with terrorism’

While the embassy did not specify who made the comments, the statement follows criticism over Israel’s response to Hamas’ attacks on October from several hard-left ministers in acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s coalition government.

Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra of far-left party Podemos on Saturday called on Sánchez to file a lawsuit for “war crimes” against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the International Criminal Court for carrying out a “genocide attempt” in Gaza.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the Islamist group’s fighters broke through the heavily fortified Gaza border on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and taking at least 199 people hostage.

Israel has responded to the attacks with withering air strikes on Gaza that have killed more than 2,700 people, mainly civilians and imposed a crippling siege on the territory that has left residents with dwindling supplies of food, water and fuel.

Israel has also demanded that residents of north Gaza leave for the south, hoping to clear the area of civilians in preparation for a perilous urban ground assault.

Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares greets Spanish citizen as they disembark from a Spanish Air Force plane landing from Israel, at Madrid airport on October 11th. (Photo by Pepe MENDEZ / Nolsom Comunicacion / AFP)
 

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Tuesday he had spoken to Israel’s ambassador to Spain after the embassy issued its statement, which he called an “unfriendly gesture”.

“The final conclusion was that we were going to work together so the friendship between Spain and Israel, between the people of Spain and Israel, is maintained, as it has been until now,” he told a news conference following a weekly cabinet meeting, adding the issue was “settled”.

“In every government there are different opinions, much more so in a coalition government,” the minister said.

“The position of the government of Spain at the moment is very clear…We condemn the terrorist attack by a terrorist organisation, which is what Hamas is, against Israel,” he said.

While Spain recognises “Israel’s right to defend itself against this terrorist attack’, any action it takes “has to comply with international law,”
Albares said.

READ ALSO: How war in Israel could affect Spain

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POLITICS

‘It’s time to reset Britain’s relations with Europe’

As he begins his first overseas trip, the UK's new Foreign Secretary David Lammy writes for The Local on how Britain plans to rebuild ties with Europe and become a better neighbour.

'It’s time to reset Britain's relations with Europe'

I am a man of multiple identities. Londoner. English. Patriotic Brit. Proud of my Caribbean heritage. A transatlanticist. And, throughout my political career, absolutely committed to a close partnership with our European neighbours. 

As the new British Foreign Secretary, with our Prime Minister Keir Starmer, this government will reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour. 

That is why I am travelling immediately to some of our key European partners. Sitting down with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, Poland’s Radek Sikorski and Sweden’s Tobias Billström, my message will be simple: let us seize the opportunity for a reset, working even more closely together to tackle shared challenges. 

READ ALSO: New UK foreign minister in Germany for first trip abroad

The most immediate of these challenges, of course, is Ukraine. We will stand by the brave people of Ukraine, as they defend their freedom against Vladimir Putin’s new form of fascism.

British military, economic, political and diplomatic support for Ukraine will remain ironclad. But we are always stronger when we work with others. Germany, Poland and Sweden are all also staunch supporters of Ukraine. European security will be this government’s foreign and defence priority.

Russia’s barbaric invasion has made clear the need for us to do more to strengthen our own defences.

Next week, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and I will all travel to Washington for the NATO Summit. 75 years ago, my political hero and former Labour Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, was pivotal to forming the Alliance. He would have been delighted to see NATO grow larger over the years, with Germany, Poland and now Sweden all joining the most successful defensive alliance in history. 

This Government’s commitment to the Alliance is unshakeable, just as it was in Bevin’s time. I will be discussing this weekend how NATO allies can go further in investing in our tightly connected defence industries and providing Ukraine with its own clear path to joining our alliance. 

Alongside security, we want to do more together to bring prosperity to our continent. None of us can address the urgency of the climate emergency alone – we need coordinated global action. This is particularly important in Europe, whose energy networks are so closely connected – together, we must invest in the industries of the future and deliver sustained economic growth for all.

And finally, we must do more to champion the ties between our people and our culture. Holidays, family ties, school and student exchanges, the arts, and sport (I was of course cheering on England in the Euros…). Thanks to this, our citizens benefit from the rich diversity of our continent. 

We can deliver more cooperation in many areas bilaterally, via NATO and in groupings like the G7, the Joint Expeditionary Force or the European Political Community which will gather at Blenheim Palace on July 18th. 

But if we are to fulfil our ambitions for a reset, we must also improve Britain’s relationship with the European Union.

I will be explaining to my new fellow Foreign Ministers how our new Government’s proposal for an ambitious and broad-ranging UK-EU Security Pact would underpin closer cooperation between us, enshrining a new geopolitical partnership. I also look forward to hearing their ideas for how we can rebuild trust and reset the relationship between the UK and the EU. 

Over centuries, our individual and national stories have come together to tell a wider story of shared progress. Today, we all share a commitment to democracy, human rights and international law. Tragic experiences in our continent’s shared past have helped us to understand how our shared security and prosperity depend on these shared values.

And I believe these values also offer a foundation for closer partnership in the future. My visit this weekend is just the beginning. I look forward to seeing Britain reconnect with our European neighbours in the years ahead.

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