The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, threatened this Friday to close the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem if it does not comply with the order given by Tel Aviv not to provide services to Palestinians residing in the occupied West Bank. “We will strictly apply the instructions. If there are violations, measures will be taken to the point of closing the Consulate in Jerusalem,” says Katz in response to the note verbale delivered by Spain to the Israeli Government to reject the limitations on its consulate.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry recalled that the restrictions will come into force this Saturday, and prohibit providing consular services to residents in territories administered by the Palestinian National Authority, that is, to Palestinians residing in the occupied West Bank.
“Any connection between the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem and the citizens of the Palestinian Authority constitutes a risk to the national security of Israel and will be totally prohibited,” insisted Katz, who has made it clear that Israel will monitor compliance with these orders and close the Consulate if it detects violations.
The restrictions were announced at the beginning of the week by the Israeli authorities in retaliation for the official recognition by Spain (along with Ireland and Norway) of the Palestinian State.
This Friday, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, assured that Spain has delivered “a first verbal note” to the Government of Israel to “completely reject any limitation” imposed on the Spanish Consulate in Jerusalem.
“Just today we have already delivered a first verbal note to the Israeli Government, completely rejecting any limitation on our Consulate General, which has a status protected by International Law and by the Vienna Convention (on diplomatic relations) and, therefore, “We totally reject that,” he declared upon arrival at the meeting of NATO foreign ministers being held in Prague.
Albares also said that yesterday he was speaking with his counterparts from Ireland and Norway to give “a joint response to the different falsehoods that have been spread these days on social networks.”
“We have a very worrying scenario in the Middle East, with a war in Gaza that every day claims the lives of more innocent Palestinian civilians,” he said upon arriving at the Prague meeting, which will address the Alliance’s southern neighborhood. .
The Israeli Foreign Minister has published different messages on social networks in which he attacks the Spanish Government, including a video with typical images of Spain, interspersed with images of the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, and accompanied by the message “Hamas thanks your services”, mentioning the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
Source: www.eldiario.es
