According to a new report by the Israeli government, cases of antisemitism have risen dramatically in 2024, with some countries registering a sixfold increase after Hamas’ 7 October attack and Israel’s response to it.
Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli told Euronews in an exclusive interview that Spain and Ireland have undergone a significant change, becoming “the most hostile states regarding the state of Israel and the Jewish community.”
Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state last year.
In an earlier exclusive interview with Euronews last week, Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the situation in Gaza “hell on earth,” accusing Israel of committing what he called “war crimes” and criticising the EU’s “lack of response”.
Chikli strongly rejected the accusation and shot back at Ireland for its stance. In Chikli’s words, when an Irish leader who “comes to the Holocaust Remembrance Day and instead of speaking about the Holocaust … speaks about Gaza – that is something which is violent antisemitism led by a head of state.”
Same goes for Spain, Chikli said, criticising Madrid’s decision to join the ICC case against Israel over alleged crimes in its war on Hamas in the Strip.
Spain and Ireland have both repeatedly rejected Israel’s accusations of antisemitism. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in October that any form of hatred towards the Jewish community has no place in the southern European country.
In Spain, Albares added, “one has freedom of expression, and any form of incitement to hatred, including antisemitism, is not only widely rejected, but enshrined in the penal code.”
Le Pen over Macron
The Israeli government report also specifically condemned French President Emmanuel Macron, stating that his comments accusing Israel of “killing women and children” were used to “legitimise antisemitic rhetoric from the far-left in France.”
Chikli accused the French president of not supporting the Jewish community in France, the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world after Israel and the US. “When Emmanuel Macron chooses not to attend the parade of the Jewish community against antisemitism, it sends a message,” Chikli pointed out.
This is why, he said, Israel has found support with what used to be considered unimaginable partners, like the right-wing, including France’s far-right National Rally party (RN).
“Marine Le Pen, for instance, we know the history of her father, which was very problematic in regard of antisemitism. But she decided to take a different path,” Chikli said.
“First, she removed her father from the party. And since 7 October she attended the parade of the Jewish community against antisemitism.”
“She spoke very clearly against the ICC decision against (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the defence minister (Yoav) Gallant,” Chikli told Euronews.
ADVEReadNOWISEMENTThis is why Israel sees the RN and Spain’s Vox party as “potential partners in the future,” he concluded.