“He will harm those who harm him”

New statement from Government of Israel. Early this Monday, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry has tidy to the Consulate of Spain in Jerusalem to stop providing consular services to Palestinians from June 1 “residents under the Palestinian Authority”, that is, in the occupied West Bank, in retaliation after the recognition of the Palestinian State. “The days of the Inquisition are over”has pointed out at the same time that he has launched a new threat against Spain, ensuring that “they will harm” those who “harm them.”

In a diplomatic note sent to the Embassy, ​​Israeli Minister Israel Katz has formalized the ban that it already announced on Friday as punishment to the recognition by Spain of the Palestinian Statewhich will be made official this Tuesday, May 28, during the Council of Ministers.

Spain announced it last Tuesday, along with Ireland and Norway, which provoked the anger of Israel, which He immediately called his ambassadors for consultations in those three countries, and called for a “reprimand” to their diplomatic representatives.

The current one is also a decision made after the statements of Vice President Yolanda Díaz, who concluded a speech with the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Israel considers it antisemitic.

This morning, I instructed the @IsraelMFA to send a diplomatic note to the Spanish Embassy in Israel, prohibiting the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from conducting consular activities or providing consular services to residents of the Palestinian Authority.

We will not remain… pic.twitter.com/Ewx9Wwux7L

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 27, 2024

The statement indicates that being “in the year 2024, the days of the Inquisition are over.” “Today we Jews have a sovereign and independent State and no one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence. “Whoever harms us, we will harm,” states Katz in a document in which he formally announces the first “punitive measures against Spain”.

Israel thus prohibits the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem “carry out consular activities or provide services consular services to residents under the Palestinian Authority”, a measure that does not apply to people with Spanish nationality.

This ban must come into force from June 1, 2024, and if not, the Israeli ministry “will take additional measures.”

The text continues stating that, “after the decision of the Government of Spain to recognize the ‘State of Palestine’, and after the hate speech and anti-Semitic statements of senior officials of the Government of Spain, led by the vice president Yolanda Diaz“, they want to inform the Embassy that the Consulate General of Spain in Jerusalem “is authorized to provide consular services only to residents from the Jerusalem district only, and not to residents of the Palestinian Authority“says the letter sent to the Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Israel, to Pedro Sánchez: “Hamas appreciates your services”

The ban ordered by Israel must come into force from June 1 of 2024, and if this guideline is not met, the minister asserts that “additional measures will be taken.” “Today I applied preliminary punitive measures against the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem, which I decided after the recognition by the Spanish government of a ‘Palestinian State’ as a gift to the murderers of Hamas and the serious anti-Semitic incitement of its leaders against the existence of the State of Israel“, points out the Minister Katz.

Israel published a video with typical images from Spain, in which two actors parody flamenco dancing, interspersed with images of the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.

The head of Foreign Affairs published this Sunday on his X account a video with topical images of Spainin which two actors parody flamenco dancing and at the same time, images of the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7 are observed. This content is accompanied by the message: “Hamas appreciates your services“mentioning the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.

.@sanchezcastejonHamas thanks you for your service. pic.twitter.com/Pkdp5diHRX

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 26, 2024

For its part, The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, José Manuel Albares, called this montage “scandalous” and “execrable.”in a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mohamad Mustafa, in Brussels.

Spain has its embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv, but it has a Consulate in Jerusalem since before 1948. This functions as an embassy to the Palestinians and maintains diplomatic relations with the ANP.