Despite the latest fighting in the Gaza Strip, a delegation of senior Spanish lawmakers was in Israel this week on a fact-finding mission with the Strategic Affairs Ministry and the Jordan Valley Regional Council to meet Israelis and Palestinians targeted by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The group was led by veteran Spanish centrist Juan Carlos Girauta, whip of the Spain for the Citizens Party.
Girauta met with Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Elhayani.
“Hamas missiles don’t differentiate between Israelis, neither should Europe. Boycotts of Israeli goods are antisemitic and detrimental to any efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region,” Girauta said. “When Europeans boycott Israel, they are actually boycotting peace, as Israeli industry brings together Israeli and Palestinians, bettering the lives of both.”
“Like Hamas, BDS does not differentiate between those living in the Jordan Valley or Tel Aviv,” Elhayani said. “Like Hamas, BDS seeks the total destruction of the Jewish state and will not succeed. Our produce speaks for itself, penetrating all borders and geographies.”
In a written statement to the group, Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan reiterated the connection between terror and Hamas: “The relationship between terrorist organizations and the BDS movement has never been closer, ideologically and operationally. Having seen the reality with your own eyes, you understand that the libels against us are false and the only true victims of BDS are coexistence and progress.”
The delegation will visit farmers, factories and industrial zones across the West Bank, Jordan Valley and the Golan to witness Israelis and Palestinians working together in direct contrast to the BDS narrative.
