The Diplomat
The Ministry of Social Rights, led by Ione Belarra, of Unidas Podemos, has reproached the Foreign Ministry for its statement, in its opinion not very strong, in the death of the Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, nor for pointing directly to the Israeli army as the “more than likely” perpetrator of this “crime”.
In a written statement, to which Europa Press had access, Derechos Sociales expressed to José Manuel Albares’ department its “rejection” of part of the content of his reaction on Tuesday to this case, while criticising the use of the terms “death” and “passing away”, instead of “murder”.
Specifically, the Foreign Ministry stated that “Spain firmly condemns the death” of the journalist, and called for the “investigation and clarification of the serious events that occurred” in this “death” and that the freedom of the press and the work of journalists “be respected”.
A statement that does not satisfy Belarra’s department, emphasising that Shireen Abu Akleh was “killed by a shot that was not accidental but clearly intentional, which immediately ended her life”, as can be seen in the images and as numerous media outlets “all over the world” have reported.
“The qualification of ‘murder’ is the one that should prevail and not ‘death’ or ‘passing away’ as the communiqué does”, the Ministry of Social Rights complains, stressing that most sources, including the other journalists present at the incident, point out that the shots came from the Israeli army.
Moreover, Belarra’s Ministry joins the request made by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and sees the need for a “transparent and independent investigation of the facts in order to find the culprits” and that this crime “does not go unpunished”.
For these reasons, Derechos Sociales affirms that the Foreign Affairs communiqué “should have condemned the murder in stronger terms, pointing to the more than possible perpetrators of such a reprehensible crime and demanding an independent investigation”.
Several members of Unidas Podemos have repudiated the incident. Thus, the State Secretary for the 2030 Agenda, Enrique Santiago, leader of the Communist Party, described it as “a new war crime by a state (Israel) that violates international law and UN resolutions”.
His fellow MP in Congress and leader of En Comú Podem, Gerardo Pisarello, also said on social media that the Foreign Ministry’s communiqué “may have been a mistake”, given that “deaths are not condemned”, but “murder”.
Joan Mena, a member of parliament, registered a series of questions in Congress to ask the government whether it plans to make any kind of diplomatic complaint to Israel over the “execrable” murder of the journalist.
He also asked the government whether it intends to promote, in coordination with other EU states, “the condemnation and condemnation of this new crime by the Israeli army against civilians”.
