"Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is taking an extremely radical line against Israel, as part of his political survival efforts and dependence on the far-left 'Sumar' camp," international journalist and lecturer on governance at Reichman University Henrique Cymerman says in a conversation with Israel Hayom, against the backdrop of Spain's decision to join the lawsuit against Israel at The Hague. "Sánchez has a deputy prime minister named Yolanda Díaz, who is a kind of BDS activist supporting the severing of relations with Israel, something that has never happened since Spain established relations with Israel."
Q: Is this a momentary move or one with long-term significance for Israel-Spain relations?
"I think we are in the midst of an unprecedented crisis in which the Israeli ambassador has returned to the country twice for consultations within a few months, something that has not happened since 1986, the year relations were established."
Q: How should Israel's government respond?
"The deterioration in relations is serious, not just with Spain. We also see countries that have joined Spain and intend to recognize a Palestinian state – Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia. This could become a contagious phenomenon, and Israel's problem with this issue is that, in my opinion, we should not be complacent about the fact that far-Right parties support Israel, because these are the grandchildren of those who killed us 80 years ago."
"And so we need to be extremely cautious here," Cymerman emphasizes. "The only solution that exists now, and I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu is aware of this, is to make an offer. It must be understood that Israel cannot always be dragged by the proposals of Americans, Europeans, and others. Israel needs to show goodwill, take the initiative, and not just react, because that is always too little and too late, and it leads to an escalation against Israel that is dangerous."
Q: What do the Spanish people think about their government's attitude towards Israel?
"No one in Spain is indifferent to Israel. There is a certain circle that is completely with the government in a blunt way and totally aligned with this line, and there are people who totally oppose it and understand that a great injustice is being done to the State of Israel. What is being said today in Spain in recent months is how Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and anything that serves this thesis is expressed, and nothing else. In academia in Spain, we are losing big time, and if there are polls among the public, then this gap narrows a bit."
