Two pro-Palestinian activists interrupted a parliamentary session this Tuesday as José Manuel Albares came to outline the government’s position on Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. They raised Palestinian flags in the arena and shouted anti-Israeli slogans. Security personnel from the Congressional detail quickly escorted them from the hall.
One protester, a middle-aged woman, cried out, “You are complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” before being restrained by a hall usher. Her companion resisted and was forcibly removed, shouting, “Down with Zionism!” at the moment of departure.
The disruption occurred at the start of the day’s parliamentary proceedings. In response, Albares stated that Palestinians deserve the hope of a state and Israelis require security guarantees. He reiterated that the government condemns the “terrorist attack by Hamas” and emphasized that such actions do not represent the Palestinian people. The minister described a vision in which Palestinians would have a viable state with its capital in Jerusalem, enabling both peoples to live in peace and security. He concluded that there should be no more deaths of innocent civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli, and that the Palestinian people deserve a horizon of peace through their own state, a proposal he would present to the parliament for consideration.
“Your government trivializes foreign policy,” charged Esteban González-Pons, a member of the People’s Party, arguing that the government’s approach is driven by ideas rather than concrete national interests.
The Plenary Assembly of the Congress of Deputies welcomed the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation to brief on Gaza, Israel and the broader Middle East, the situation of Spaniards in the region, and the measures taken by the Government. The assembly signaled that it would deliberate on this matter in that spirit.
The Popular Group pressed Albares to explain the assessment of the terrorist attack. They indicated that the briefing should not merely cover Israel’s ongoing difficulties or the situation of Spaniards in the region, but should clarify how the Executive intends to act and how the conflict could influence Spain’s foreign policy. The minister, for his part, requested to attend the meeting at his own invitation to explain the Spanish Government’s stance on the situation in Gaza, Israel and the broader Middle East.