Albares agreed with Díaz on the statement against Israel due to the underlying tune on Palestine

The tendency towards division between the PSOE and Unidas Podemos has been so accentuated in the previous legislature that it is difficult not to see a new crisis every time disagreements occur.. With the outbreak of violence that has occurred in the Middle East, following the Hamas terrorist attack and Israel's harsh military response on Gaza, the partners have once again expressed themselves in a disparate manner.. The socialists with Sumar and Yolanda Díaz herself with Podemos. But these discrepancies are very far from other episodes of internal tension. In this matter they are all united by their historic defense of the Palestinian cause. It is true that “there are nuances,” they acknowledge, although they have nothing to do with the differences maintained over the shipment of weapons to Ukraine or over the recognition of the Moroccan identity of the Sahara, the two international political issues on which they have clashed the most..

The proof is that the partners have coordinated to respond to the devastating statement from the Israeli embassy, in which they condemned the statements of “some members” of the Government and assured that they have chosen “to align themselves with ISIS-type terrorism.”. Although they did not mention them, they were referring to some demonstrations by the head of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, in which she asked Pedro Sánchez to take Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court to try him for war crimes, after the indiscriminate bombing of the Strip. from Gaza. Belarra insists on talking about Israeli “genocide”.

The reply note to Israel's accusations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was agreed between the two blocks of the Government, as confirmed by both parties. José Manuel Albares called Yolanda Díaz to agree on a response, in which the coalition Executive put a stop to what was considered interference by another country in Spanish politics. The versions of the content of the conversation are more or less enthusiastic, depending on the interlocutor.. The socialist party maintains that it had the courtesy to speak with its partners about the Government's reaction. That of Sumar, who was “working” on the text. But the final balance is the same: “It was agreed”. They accept that the harshness of the Israeli text made it easy.

The statement resulting from that conversation, made public later, claimed that the embassy note contained “falsehoods” and warned Israel that it did not accept “unfounded insinuations” about the members of its Government.. Both Moncloa and Foreign Affairs knew that they could not let this interference pass because if a foreign government was allowed such a broadside, the ban would be opened against Spain.. But, unlike what happens in other issues, there are no reproaches against Sumar and Podemos, beyond the fact of leaving the “perimeter” of their powers.. “All ministers feel very comfortable with the joint position,” indicate government sources..

The reason, the two partners admit, is that there is an ideological coincidence in the defense of the Palestinian cause, which is, furthermore, a historical position of the left.. “We are both in favor of Palestine,” they point out from the socialist wing; The difference is that “they overlook the savagery of the Hamas attack against Israel”. There is fundamental harmony and it is an issue on which we are “quite close”, Sumar also maintains, although they assume the existence of “nuances” in the recognition of the Palestinian State. Specifically on whether or not the Government “should wait for the EU to do so first”. According to sources from Díaz's platform, it is a debate that also divides the PSOE.

For now the Government hides itself in the fact that it is “in office”. But this weekend at a rally in Mérida Sánchez already proposed that the solution to the conflict between Israel and Hamas involves recognizing Palestine as a State, before Sumar demanded it as one of the elements that must appear in the new Government agreement.. In fact, Palestine has an embassy in Madrid and Albares meets with its representative.

Permanent contact with Díaz

The affinity on this issue does not obviate the discomfort of the socialist bloc with the harshness of the statements of Podemos and Belarra. There are also dissonances between Sumar and the purple formation although it is more “in form than in substance”. The way it is evident is that Albares did not speak with the Minister of Social Rights directly and went to Díaz to agree on the response statement to Israel.. He has had constant contact with the second vice president these days. And this Tuesday, the head of Spanish diplomacy once again repeated that the only “authorized” voices in foreign policy are his own and that of the President of the Government..

The Executive considers the diplomatic incident with Israel settled after, in addition to the response note, the Foreign Minister spoke personally with the Israeli ambassador, Rodica Radian-Gordon, and conveyed his “deep displeasure” for her statement that Spain considered an “unfriendly gesture”. While waiting for what the conflict in the Middle East brings, the intention is to turn the page.