The general secretary of the opposition Podemos party, Ione Belarra, joined the protest and accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.
Demonstrators gathered in Madrid on Tuesday to protest the arrival of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team ahead of their Euroleague game against Real Madrid.
The protest, organized by several pro-Palestinian civil society groups and Spain’s left-wing Podemos party, took place outside the WiZink Center in Madrid ahead of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game on Wednesday, the Anadolu news agency reported.
A group protested in Madrid against Israel ahead of the Real Madrid-Maccabi Tel Aviv match in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/7mIBcGX306
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 14, 2025
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans including “Boycott Israel,” “Murderer Israel,” “Free Palestine” and “Long live Palestine’s freedom struggle.”
Questions over Russia’s Ban
The general secretary of the opposition Podemos party, Ione Belarra, joined the protest and accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.
She criticized Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares for his stance that “sports should be kept separate from politics” after calls to block the Maccabi Tel Aviv team and its fans from entering Madrid, the report continued.
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“While Albares initiated efforts within the EU to exclude Russia from sporting activities over its invasion of Ukraine, he defends the separation of sports and politics when it comes to Israel, which commits genocide,” Belarra said. “This is hypocrisy and complicity in Israel’s crime of genocide.”
She called on the Spanish government to sever all ties with Tel Aviv.
Belarra earlier pointed out that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters have caused security problems in other countries by defending the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Spanish police maintained tight security around the sports venue, reported Anadolu.
‘Normalizing Genocide’
Separately, activists in Spain’s Basque region called for the cancellation of another Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game between Baskonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv scheduled for February 7.
Otsailaren 7an Maccabi Tel Aviv saskibaloi taldea Euskal Herrira etortzekoa da. Partidua bertan behera geratu dadila aldarrikatzen dugu, eta berau gelditzeko mobilizatzera eta borrokatzera dei egiten dugu.
Israelen desegitera bidean, harreman oro eten! pic.twitter.com/DOptxD7Dc3
— Palestinarekin Elkartasuna (@Palestinarekin) January 7, 2025
The group Palestinarekin Elkartasuna accused Israel of using Maccabi Tel Aviv to “normalize its genocide against Palestinians.”
“Through this propaganda, Israel aims to improve the image of the Zionist state and dissociate itself from colonialism,” the group said in a statement. “No event that normalizes genocide should be allowed.”
On X, the group said: “On the road to Israel’s dissolution, break off all relations!”
Ongoing Genocide
The ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, has led to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale. As the death toll among besieged and starved Palestinian civilians continues to rise daily, Israel is currently facing charges of genocide against Palestinians before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 46,707 Palestinians have been killed, and 110,265 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 46,707 Palestinians have been killed, and 110,265 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023. pic.twitter.com/QlarRP01hp
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 15, 2025
The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.
The war, which Palestinians call “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began after a military operation carried out by Hamas on Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,139 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the initial attack on October 7. However, Israeli media have raised concerns that a significant number of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.
Millions Displaced
Human rights organizations, both Palestinian and international, have reported that the overwhelming majority of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. The ongoing violence has also exacerbated an acute famine, with thousands of children among the dead, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian disaster.
Water as a Weapon: Gaza Faces Devastating Shortage amid Ongoing Genocide
The war has displaced nearly two million people from their homes across Gaza, with the majority of the displaced forced into the already overcrowded southern region of the Strip. The population in Gaza remains trapped in the ongoing conflict, with little access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.
(PC, Anadolu)
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