let us have three cheers for spain on this one; 

 

Israel has accused Spain of antisemitic hatred after a 23ft-tall effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during a festival.

The country's foreign ministry has summoned Spain’s ambassador for a reprimand after the figurine of the Israeli prime minister was destroyed near Malaga on April 5.

It was blown up with 14kg of gunpowder in El Burgo as part of a traditional and decades-old ceremony, according to María Dolores Narváez, the mayor.

Narváez also told local television that the annual event has previously featured effigies of figures such as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the event, the Israeli foreign ministry took to X to say the 'appalling anti-Semitic hatred on display' was 'a direct result' of 'systemic incitement' by the government of Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters that the government was 'committed to fighting anti-Semitism and any form of hate or discrimination. As such, we totally reject ⁠any insidious allegation which suggests the contrary'. 

The incident further escalates a long-running diplomatic dispute between Spain and Israel, which began following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

Spain has been a vocal critic of US and Israeli military campaigns in the region, despite warnings from America over uncooperative NATO allies............more...........