The Diplomat
The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, yesterday presented the Medal of Honour of the City Council of the capital to the Jewish Community of Madrid, during the ceremony of awarding distinctions to various individuals and entities held on the feast of St. Isidore, patron saint of the city.
The event was attended by the Israeli ambassador, Rodica Radian-Gordon, who congratulated the Jewish Community on her social network account X, stressing that “the educational and social work they carry out is admirable, and their collaboration with the city’s institutions is fundamental”. He added: “I am deeply proud of the Jewish Community of Madrid, an example of values and commitment to the common good, congratulations!”.
The medal was collected by the President of the Jewish Community in Madrid, Estrella Bengio, who, in her speech, highlighted “the deep roots of the Jews in Madrid”, and said: “We thank you for the sensitivity and warmth you have always shown towards our country and our community, and the cordiality and affection that have always guided our meetings. And we thank you wholeheartedly for the many expressions of solidarity we received after 7 October and the condemnation of the brutal and inhumane massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists”.
The awarding of the distinction to the Jewish Community was not attended by the councillors of Más Madrid, who preferred to hold an event in the Pradera de San Isidro to express their rejection of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and described the awarding of the medal as an “attempt to whitewash a criminal and genocidal government”.
