Israeli Tourist Clashes With Hundreds at Pro-Palestinian Rally in Basque Country Amid Rising Hostility

A video circulating on social media shows an Israeli tourist confronting hundreds of demonstrators during a pro-Palestinian march in Spain's Basque region. The woman repeatedly asserted that "Palestine does not exist," prompting the crowd to stop the march, surround her, and chant "Nazi, Nazi." She responded by telling them to "go be slaves" and made an obscene gesture, while the crowd continued to verbally abuse her.

This incident reflects a broader atmosphere of hostility toward Israel in the Basque Country, where anti-Israel slogans such as "Zionists not welcome," antisemitic caricatures, and active Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaigns have become common. During the recent San Fermín festival in Pamplona, large banners calling for Israel's destruction were displayed alongside BDS stickers. Although Pamplona is in Navarre, many Basque nationalists consider it part of the historical Basque homeland.

Historically, Basque nationalism once admired Zionism as a model for cultural preservation and national revival. Cooperation continued into the 1940s, with Basque exiles aiding Jewish immigration efforts to Palestine. However, this changed with the rise of ETA, a Marxist and anti-colonial Basque separatist group founded in 1959, which began viewing Israel as a colonial power after the 1967 Six-Day War and aligned ideologically with the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Today, support for Palestinians is central to Basque left-wing identity, often drawing parallels between the Basque struggle and the Palestinian cause, with the bombing of Guernica in 1937 symbolizing a shared trauma. This has made the Basque region a hub for BDS activities in Europe, influencing local government decisions and cultural events.

Despite the public hostility, official Basque institutions maintain security, technological, and commercial ties with Israel. Since the 1990s, Basque police have received Israeli training and use Israeli technology from companies like Verint and Cellebrite. Basque firms also participate in Israeli infrastructure projects, illustrating a paradox between public sentiment and governmental cooperation.