MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called for Israel to be banned from sports events after pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the final stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race in chaotic scenes in Madrid. Israel’s foreign minister responded by calling Sánchez an “antisemite and a liar.”
Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent weeks as Spain’s left-wing government expressed support for protesters who interrupted several stages of the Vuelta, including Sunday’s final stage in Madrid, because an Israeli team was taking part.
Speaking to members of his Socialist Party, Sánchez said Israel, just like Russia, should not be allowed to compete in international sports events because of its military campaign in Gaza.
“The sports organizations should consider whether it’s ethical for Israel to keep participating in international competitions. Why expel Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and not expel Israel after the invasion of Gaza?” Sanchez said. “Until the barbarity ends, neither Russia nor Israel should be in any international competition.”
Sánchez spoke a day after Sunday’s final stage of the Vuelta was cut short when pro-Palestinian protesters opposing the participation of Israeli team Israel Premier Tech threw barriers onto the road and clashed with police near the finish line in the Spanish capital. Authorities said two people were arrested and 22 injured, none of them seriously.
The Spanish government had already expressed sympathy with the protesters and suggested that the Israel Premier Tech team should have withdrawn from the three-week-long race that became a diplomatic battleground.
The team removed its name from its uniforms but remained in the race until the end despite protesters’ calls for it to be expelled.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized Sánchez with a post on X that included a video link to the Spanish leader’s speech Monday.
“An antisemite and a liar,” Saar wrote. “Did Israel invade Gaza on Oct. 7th or did the Hamas terror state invade Israel and commit the worst massacre against the Jews since the Holocaust?”
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. There are still 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom Israel believes that 20 are still alive.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many were civilians or combatants. The offensive has displaced most of Gaza’s 2 million people, caused widespread destruction and severe hunger across the territory.
As the war has ground on, Israel has grown increasingly isolated, with Spain at the forefront of growing list of European countries increasingly critical of Israel due to the heavy civilian toll. A number of countries, including the U.K. and France, have said they plan on recognizing a Palestinian state, and the European Commission’s president has called for scaling back Europe’s trade ties with Israel.
Europe remains divided on its stance toward Israel, and its limited sanctions and condemnations so far have had little effect.
Madrid’s conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, also criticized Sánchez and described Sunday’s events as a sad day for the Spanish capital.
Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, who was leading the overall classification going into the final stage, was declared the winner of the Vuelta but the customary podium ceremony was canceled.
“It’s a pity that such a moment of eternity was taken from us,” Vingegaard said. “Everyone has the right to protest, but not in a way that influences or endangers our race.”
The teams reportedly improvised a private podium ceremony later so riders could celebrate.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the protesters for “spoiling” the race and criticized Sánchez for “praising” the protests.
“Instead I want to praise the athletes and everyone who doesn’t spoil things for others,” she wrote on Instagram.
Vuelta race director Javier Guillén on defended the decision to let the Israeli team stay in the race.
“The Vuelta’s position was clear, we had to abide to the norms of the International Cycling Union. It’s the UCI that regulates the right of admission to the race,” Guillén said at a news conference Monday. “We never got into any other type of debate. All we wanted to do was to be able to finish the race with normalcy, and that wasn’t possible.”
The Vuelta was disrupted by protesters during several stages, with some having to be cut short and others interrupted.
The central government’s representative for the Madrid region said an estimated 100,000 people were on the streets during the protests. The number could not be independently verified.
Guillén said the Vuelta protests would likely have implications for future sports events with Israeli participants.
“After this Vuelta, the international entities will need to make decisions and cycling will need to have some internal discussions to find solutions,” he said.
Next year’s Tour de France begins with a stage in Barcelona.
“Hopefully everything will be solved by then,” he said. “I don’t want to speculate with any possibilities. I’m sure Barcelona will have a great Tour de France.”
from Sportsnet.ca
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