The true colors of Spain

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A few weeks ago, the Spanish government joined Ireland and Norway in recognizing a Palestinian State. This was hardly a surprising move. In the last election, Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, was forced to create a coalition with the Suma party, that identifies with the Palestinians. But Spain has run into a few practical and moral problems since their formal declaration.

Firstly, Spain wants to place a Spanish Embassy in the West Bank. After all, every recognized country should have embassies from the various countries around the world that recognize it. The problem is Spain cannot find an ambassador who is willing to go to the West Bank. I mean…would you want to go? The place is riddled with internal violence, corruption and terrorism. Not to mention homophobia, honor killings and political assassinations. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7pz2i2w4XA)

Secondly, Spain’s own foreign ministry is reluctant to endorse all the Spanish government’s statements about the “genocide” being perpetrated on the Palestinians. You see, according to Spanish law Spain must grant asylum to any victim of genocide.  So, by labeling Palestinians victims of genocide, Spain is essentially inviting hundreds of thousands if not two million Palestinian refugees to apply for asylum in Spain. They wouldn’t even have to go very far. They can go to the Spanish consulates in Tel Aviv or Haifa and submit their applications. And while admittedly that is probably not the simplest task during the war, there are Palestinian organizations that are already laying the groundwork for the wave of Palestinian refugees that Spain would be forced to take in (https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-805302).

Recently, in fact, members of pro-Palestinian groups held a press conference calling for Spain to help Palestinian refugees just as the government did with Ukrainian refugees two years ago.  These groups argued that the Spanish government set up obstacles for Palestinians that were not there for Ukrainians. They are upset that only two flights of Palestinians have been welcomed into Spain since the beginning of the war.  One Palestinian man, Rabbee Abu Nahul claims that even though he has been living in Spain for six years, he has been unsuccessfully trying to bring his mother over for four months. In the last six years, Spain has taken in less than 400 asylum seekers a year.  It can take six months for an asylum seeker to get an appointment to apply for asylum. With the Ukrainians it took one day according to the speakers at the press conference. The groups called on Catalonian institutions to put pressure on the Spanish government. (https://www.catalannews.com/society-science/item/entities-call-for-spain-to-welcome-palestinian-refugees-as-it-did-with-ukrainians)

Speaking of Catalonia, the third difficulty with Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state is its own failure to recognize Catalonia as an independent state. The irony is glaring. Catalonia, the capital and largest city of which is Barcelona, the fifth most populated urban area in the EU, and one of Spain’s most wealthy industrial zones, has been fighting for their own independence from Spain for years. The Spanish government has been willing to “talk” to the Catalonians, but not to make it an independent state. Yet, they have no problem declaring “Palestine” an independent state. How do you say “hypocrite” in Spanish? (https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-805302).

But Spain has responded to all of these issues. It has promised to take care of the Palestinians by giving UNWRA over $20 million. That’s right.  Spain has decided that instead of taking in refugees and acknowledging their own hypocrisy, they will pour millions of dollars into an organization that has stolen Palestinian aid, indoctrinated Palestinian youth, participated in the October 7^th massacre, and held innocent Israelis hostage – all under the guise of a UN organization. I’m impressed. Spain has really outdone itself.

Recently, Yolanda Diaz, the deputy prime minister of Spain, ended a speech with the call “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” It was eye-opening for many of us. Spain has shown us its true colors. They are black, white, green, and red.