Kulturkampf

[benji]

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for Israel to be excluded from international sports competitions over its actions in Gaza.

Earlier this week, Sanchez said Israel should be treated in the same way as Russia, which was banned from international competition by FIFA and UEFA following its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022.

"Israel cannot continue to use any international platform to whitewash its image," Sanchez told representatives of his Socialist Workers' Party.

A spokesperson for the Socialist Group in Spanish Congress, Patxi Lopez, has suggested the Spanish government could vote to boycott the next World Cup if Israel qualify and are allowed to compete.

It comes after Spanish broadcaster RTVE threatened to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest if Israel competes, following similar announcements in the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland.

Echoing Sanchez's comments, Lopez called on sports associations to "exclude" Israel from competitions, as was done with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

When asked if Spain would withdraw if Israel were allowed to compete at the World Cup, Lopez said (via COPE) "we'll consider it later" and that a request could be made "at the appropriate time" if no action is taken against Israel.

Spanish government spokesperson and Minister of Sports, Pilar Alegria, has also called for Israel to be excluded from international competitions in light of the worsening situation in Gaza.

"Sport is not, and cannot be, an island independent of what happens in the real world, especially when that real world tells us that human rights are being destroyed," she said.