Pro-Palestinian vandals damage light rail cars in Spain before shipment to Israel

Masked activists damaged light rail cars stored in Navarra, Spain, about a week and a half ago before they were due to be shipped to Israel, Spanish outlet Noticias de Gipuzkoa reported. According to the report, the suspects sprayed red paint on the front of the cars and broke windows as part of a protest for what they called “freedom, equality and justice for Palestine.”

The cars were manufactured in the Basque Country in northern Spain. The report said they were intended for the Green Line from Rishon LeZion to Herzliya, but in practice they are Purple Line cars, meant to serve the route to Yehud Monoson, which is expected to open earlier.

Video of the incident shows hooded suspects covering their faces as they enter through a gap in the fence, apparently cut specifically for access. They locate the cars marked in Hebrew and vandalize them. The footage also shows the words “destroy Israel” written on part of the cars.

The vandalism could delay the shipment to Israel. The Purple Line was originally planned to open in 2027, but in February last year NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System and the Transportation Ministry said the goal is to launch the full line from the Gush Dan area to Tel Aviv only in July 2028. The line is expected to have 46 stations serving Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Kiryat Ono, Givat Shmuel, Or Yehuda and Yehud Monoson.