Israel summons Spanish envoy over ‘severe violence’ against Gaza flotilla activists

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it had summoned Spain’s chargé d’affaires in Tel Aviv for a clarification meeting over what it described as “severe acts of violence” by Spanish authorities against participants of a Gaza-bound flotilla upon their return to the European country.

The ministry said Political Director Ambassador Yossi Amrani, acting on instructions from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, raised concerns with Spanish diplomat Francisca Pedrós following the circulation of videos and images from the incident. Israel accused Spain of hypocrisy, saying Madrid both supports flotilla efforts and criticizes Israel’s enforcement of its naval blockade of Gaza.

The anti-Israel activists last week were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, briefly held in Israel and then deported. In Saturday’s incident at Bilbao Airport in northern Spain’s Basque region, returning activists scuffled with police after blocking an arrivals gate. Video shows police beating and detaining the activists.

“The Political Director pointed to the hypocrisy of the Spanish government, which sends its provocateurs to Israel and then condemns Israel for its lawful actions to enforce a legal naval blockade—while at the same time Spanish authorities employed severe violence against those same flotilla participants,” according to the statement. “The Political Director demanded an explanation as to why, nearly 24 hours after the serious acts of violence committed by the Spanish authorities, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez or any of his ministers have still not seen fit to condemn the Spanish authorities’ violence, while they are always quick to condemn Israel on any pretext whatsoever.”

The statement continued: “The Political Director clarified that the Spanish authorities had to deal only with provocations carried out by some of the flotilla participants against Israel—whereas Israel faced far more serious provocations by many hundreds of flotilla participants during each of the last six flotillas—and yet the Spanish authorities resorted to severe violence that was not employed by Israel.”

According to the ministry, Amrani also questioned Spain’s handling of a flotilla activist identified as Spanish citizen Saif Abu Kashk, whom Jerusalem says has ties to the Hamas terrorist organization and is under recent U.S. sanctions.