Israel Prohibits Spain From Providing Consular Services to Palestinians

Days after Spain announced that it will recognize the Palestinian state, the Foreign Minister of the Zionist regime, Israel Katz, announced this Friday that he has instructed to cut the connection between the European country’s Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Palestinians, as well as prohibiting the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from "providing services to Palestinians".

Related:

Lula Hails Stance of Spain, Ireland and Norway on Palestine

Katz has detailed that the reason for this decision is the recognition of Spain to the Palestinian state and what he considered an "anti-Semitic appeal" by the vice president of the Spanish government, Yolanda Díaz, who closed this week a speech with the slogan propalestino "from the river to the sea".

Meanwhile, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has announced that the government will protest to the Zionist entity for this decision. At the same time, it has denied that there are "anti-Semites" in the Spanish Executive.

After the announcement of Spain, the vice president -leader of the Sumar party- published a video on her social networks supporting the recognition of the Palestinian State in which she affirmed "Palestine will be free from the river to the sea"a slogan of the Palestinian cause that Israel considers to be anti-Semitic without any connection between them.

Announcing the reprisal against Madrid, Katz offended the Spanish vice president, whom he called "ignorant" and "full of hatred".

Spain announced on Wednesday, together with Ireland and Norway, its intention to recognize the Palestinian State, 76 years later, decision that will formalize the three countries on 28 May. This provoked Israel’s anger and immediately called for consultations with its ambassadors in those three countries. Moreover, it threatened to subject those nations to serious consequences for that sovereign act.

The European nation has its embassy in Israel located in Tel Aviv, but also has a consulate in East Jerusalem, which functions as an embassy for the Palestinians since it provides consular services to them and is responsible for diplomatic ties with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), in addition to hosting the Spanish Cooperation Agency, with numerous projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in 1980, so its Foreign Ministry considers that it has the power to issue visas and placards to the staff of the Spanish Consulate.