Hostages

Spain cannot be held hostage to the personal and partisan interests of President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. The leaders of the main European countries travelled to Israel and the West Bank shortly after 7 October to condemn Hamas's brutal terrorist attack on Israel and to call for restraint in the response after recognising the legitimate right of defence.  

Only Pedro Sánchez, who then as now held the six-month presidency of the European Union, was absent during those two weeks, but was unable to devote a few hours to the trip because he was engaged in his investiture process to repeat as Prime Minister of Spain. As expected, Sánchez's foreign policy is also a social-communist Frankenstein, conditioned by the ultra-left ideology of his Sumar partners who, as members of the government, some in office and others as new recruits, publicly accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza and support the terrorist action of Hamas as the resistance of the Palestinian people.  

Pedro Sánchez, accompanied by the Belgian Prime Minister, who will take over the EU presidency in January, was received in Israel by President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu with a serious gesture of circumstance upon hearing from Sánchez that Israel must act in Gaza with respect for international humanitarian law and that the use of force will not resolve the conflict. This was expected and acceptable to Israel. Moreover, it is clear from the images that Sánchez was reading from a piece of paper, a handout to say exactly what he had to say.... 

But the next day, Sánchez and the Belgian "premier" held an opportunistic press conference at Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, where he made statements that the Israeli government considered to be support for Hamas terrorism and expressed its enormous displeasure. Sánchez spoke of unacceptable indiscriminate killings of children in Gaza and the need for EU recognition of the Palestinian state, failing which Spain will do so on its own.  

Sánchez clearly tipped the balance towards Hamas, which also issued a statement thanking the Spanish prime minister for his bold behaviour. Of course, Sánchez did not mention the evidence provided by Israel of Hamas tunnels and weapons stores in the basement of Al Shifa hospital, for example. The videos leave no doubt how Hamas terrorists have been using civilians as human shields for many years.  

Sánchez's public intervention in Rafah did not conform to elementary diplomatic practices, which are very delicate at this time, with a state like Israel with which Spain maintains relevant relations in all areas. What was unheard of and highly reprehensible was yesterday on public TV, in an interview, insisting on accusing Israel of not complying with International Humanitarian Law for the deaths of children in Gaza. Deaths, no doubt, that nobody wants, not even the Israelis themselves, but which Hamas provokes, first by its attack on 7 October, knowing beforehand Israel's obligatory response, and then because it uses them as human shields...  

And to cap off the missed opportunity, Sanchez said what he was saying when two Palestinian terrorists in Jerusalem stopped their car at a bus stop and fired indiscriminately at the people who were there. Three dead. Tel Aviv has recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations.  You have to be very careful what you say. There are many transcendental nuances such as the lack of legitimacy of those in power in Gaza and the West Bank since 2006 or the actions of Iran and its Al Quds brigades as instigator, financier and beneficiary of this serious crisis in the region. 

But there is no surprise when Sánchez constantly changes his mind on very important issues and, even in the international arena, places Spain in a humiliating situation by accepting, for months now, international mediators or rapporteurs to negotiate with a fugitive from justice his votes to remain in the Palace of Moncloa. He is not progressive at all. It is social-communist, with the ultra-left, with the independentistas and with the heirs of a terrorist gang. This is not progressive.