Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) has announced his withdrawal as Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, citing their hostility to Israel.
'Political Grandstanding Over Moral Clarity'
In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Rep. Gimenez accused him of having "repeatedly chosen political grandstanding over moral clarity" in one of the most turbulent times in Israel's history, facing "existential threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and other terrorist organizations."
Spain has face accusations of enacting numerous hostile actions against Israel, such as recognizing Palestinian statehood, banning ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from calling at Spanish ports or entering its airspace, and banning both the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and government officials from entering the country.
Rep. Gimenez called these actions "an insult to the United States and our shared strategic interests" and noted the irony of Spain taking such hostile actions, since "your political apparatus simultaneously legitimizes terrorist networks and accommodationist policies" that are aiding and abetting the very same Islamification of Europe, and are therefore "a betrayal of Western values."
"The Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus exists to strengthen the bonds between our nations based on shared democratic values and a mutual commitment to global stability," the Florida congressman concluded. "Unfortunately, your government's hostile actions against Israel and the Jewish people prove that your administration no longer shares those principles."
Continued Tensions with Spain
Gimenez is not the only American official unhappy with Spain, as President Donald Trump and Representatives Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) have expressed their discontent with the country's refusal to honor a debt owed to NextEra and Blasket Renewable Investments for building the Iberian country's green energy infrastructure.
In fact, Prime Minister Sánchez seems to be making a point of not paying, since he is a self-avowed enemy of President Trump, saying in April that "It doesn't matter how much they scream, or how many lies they spread. The time for the reactionary, ultra-right has come to an end."
