AFP Asia Business

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called Monday for Israel to be barred from international sport over the Gaza war, as it emerged his government had also cancelled an $825 million military contract with the country.Sanchez expressed “deep admiration” for thousands of protesters who forced the halt of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana, one of the world’s biggest cycling races, in Spain on Sunday.He said Israel should be penalised just as Russia was over its invasion of Ukraine — angering Israel, which had a team in the race, as well as Spanish conservatives.”Our position is clear and categorical: as long as the barbarity continues, neither Russia nor Israel should participate in any international competition,” said Sanchez.The Spanish leader has become one of Europe’s fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, where the UN says Palestinians face starvation.”Sports organizations should ask themselves whether it’s ethical for Israel to continue competing internationally,” said Sanchez.”Why was Russia expelled after invading Ukraine, yet Israel faces no expulsion after invading Gaza?”An official document seen Monday by AFP meanwhile showed the Spanish government had cancelled a contract worth nearly 700 million euros ($825 million) for Israeli-designed rocket launchers.Last week Sanchez’s government announced measures aimed at stopping what it called “the genocide in Gaza”.- ‘Shame for Spain’ -Around 100,000 protestors gathered for Sunday’s final stage of the Vuelta which was cut short around 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the finish in central Madrid. There were some clashes with police.Protesters denounced the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team, privately owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams.On Sunday protesters pushed over barriers and stood in the road where cyclists were due to pass. Police initially intervened at one point on the route, but ultimately allowed protesters to occupy the road peacefully.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday accused Sanchez of “encouraging protesters to take to the streets”, calling his government a “shame for Spain”.His comments mirrored criticism from Spain’s conservative opposition Popular Party (PP).”The government has allowed and induced the non-completion of the Vuelta and, in this way, an international embarrassment televised worldwide,” PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo wrote on X.Spain’s Federation of Jewish Communities (FCJE) condemned what it called the justification of violence in the protests and the spreading of hostility toward the country’s roughly 45,000 Jews.- Tour de France doubts -Javier Guillen, director of the Vuelta race, told a news conference on Monday the disruptions were “absolutely unacceptable. I regret the image it gave (to the world) and it should not be repeated.”Cycling’s global governing body (UCI) on Monday said it “regretted” the Spanish government’s support for the demonstrations, which “could call into question Spain’s ability to host major international sporting events”.The disruptions raised questions about possible changes to the 2026 Tour de France, scheduled to start in Barcelona.”It’s obvious that since this Vuelta, international organisations will have to take decisions,” Guillen said.”I hope it’s all sorted (by the Tour de France) and the conflict in Gaza has finished, not just for sport but for humanitarian reasons.”- Arms contract cancelled -The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed at least 64,905 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.The Spanish measures announced last week over Gaza included a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel.The cancelled arms contract revealed Monday was awarded to a consortium of Spanish companies and involved the purchase of 12 SILAM rocket launcher systems derived from the PULS platform made by Israeli firm Elbit Systems, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance.Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said Monday that Spain should boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel takes part, joining other European nations threatening to pull out.

Qatar’s emir accused Israel of trying to derail Gaza ceasefire efforts with its attack on Hamas in Doha, as Arab and Muslim leaders held emergency talks on Monday to discuss a unified response.The joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit was called by Qatar to pile pressure on Israel, which has been facing mounting calls to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.Hamas says top officials survived last week’s air strike in Doha, which killed six people and triggered a wave of criticism, including a rebuke from US President Donald Trump.Qatar has been a key mediator in talks to end the war in Gaza — alongside Egypt and the United States — and the Israeli strike came as Hamas officials were discussing a new US proposal.”Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations,” Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in his opening remarks.”Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war.”The emir also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “dreams of turning the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, and this is a dangerous illusion”.A draft final statement from the summit seen by AFP warned that Israel’s “brutal” aggression “threatens all that has been achieved on the path toward establishing normal relations with Israel, including existing and future agreements”.Israel and its main backer the United States have been trying to expand the Abraham Accords, which established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020.- ‘Actions, not just rhetoric’ -As the meeting opened in Doha, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting Israel in a demonstration of Washington’s steadfast support.Rubio will head to Qatar, also a staunch Washington ally, on Tuesday, a US official said.On Sunday, Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a preparatory meeting that “the time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed”.According to the draft statement, the nearly 60-country grouping in Doha will also emphasise “the concept of collective security… as well as the necessity of aligning together to face common challenges and threats”.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, was among those present, as were Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also attended.Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Council said it would host an urgent debate on Tuesday on Israel’s air strike in Qatar.And an extraordinary meeting of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council would also be held in Doha on Monday, according to Saudi state media.Aziz Algashian, a Saudi-based researcher of international relations in the Middle East, said “many people are looking at actions, not just rhetoric” from the Arab-Islamic meeting in Doha.”We’ve exhausted all forms of rhetoric. Now it’s just going to have to be actions — and we’ll see what those actions will be,” he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington was steadfast in its support for its ally Israel’s pursuit of the Gaza war and called for the eradication of Hamas.”The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated,” Rubio told reporters at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.”You can count on our unwavering support,” he said.Netanyahu said Rubio’s visit was a “clear message” the United States stood with Israel and praised President Donald Trump for his backing, calling him the “greatest friend that Israel has ever had”.Rubio criticised plans by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state, saying they “emboldened” Hamas. “They’re largely symbolic… the only impact they actually have is it makes Hamas feel more emboldened,” he said.Rubio had said he would discuss with Netanyahu Israeli plans to seize Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, as well as the government’s talk of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in hopes of precluding a Palestinian state.He had also said Trump wanted the Gaza war to be “finished with” — which would mean the release of hostages and ensuring Hamas is “no longer a threat”.But talks were made more difficult last week when the Trump administration was caught off guard by an Israeli attack in Qatar against Hamas leaders.”We sent a message to terrorists: you can run but you cannot hide,” Netanyahu said.The “raid didn’t fail.”Rubio said Washington would continue to tell Qatar to continue its “constructive role” as an intermediary in the Gaza war.A US official later said Rubio will travel on Tuesday to Qatar, where Arab and Muslim leaders gathered Monday to pile pressure on Israel after the attack.Qatar’s emir said at the summit that Israel had sought to derail truce talks, which Doha along with Egypt and the United States have sought to broker between Israel and Hamas.”Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations… Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said.- ‘Eternal capital’ -In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 25 people Monday, all but one in Gaza City, Gaza civil defence agency reported.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the Israelis were pushing more people into the already overcrowded Al-Mawasi, which lacks basics such as food and water and where disease is spreading.The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed at least 64,905 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.Qatar has assiduously courted Trump, including by gifting him a luxury jet.”Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful,” Trump said on Sunday. “When we attack people we have to be careful.”But the United States has not joined European powers in pressing Israel to end the offensive in Gaza, who fear it will aggravate the already severe humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory for its more than two million people.Rubio opened the visit on Sunday with a highly symbolic show of support as he joined Netanyahu at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray.- Controversial tunnel -Rubio, a devout Catholic, later posted that his visit showed his belief that Jerusalem is the “eternal capital” of Israel.Until Trump’s first term, US leaders had shied away from such overt statements backing Israeli sovereignty over contested Jerusalem, which is also holy to Muslims and Christians.Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, in a sharp break with most of the world.Rubio is expected Monday to attend the inauguration of a tunnel for religious tourists that goes underneath the Palestinian neighourhood of Silwan to the holy sites.Fakhri Abu Diab, 63, a community spokesman in Silwan, said Rubio should instead come to see homes, such as his own, that have been demolished by Israel in what Palestinians charge is a targeted campaign to erase them.”Instead of siding with international law, the United States is going the way of extremists and the far right and ignoring our history,” he said.Rubio played down the political implications, calling it “one of the most important archaeological sites in the world”.

A flotilla bound for Gaza carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists set sail Monday from Tunisia after repeated delays, aiming to break Israel’s blockade and deliver aid to the Palestinian territory.”The fleet that departed Barcelona is already at sea, and the Tunisian boats are now setting sail in stages,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement.”They will converge on the water and continue together to meet the Italian and Greek ships,” it added.At least 18 boats set sail Saturday from Catania in southern Italy, accompanied by a support vessel from the Italian NGO Emergency, according to organisers and Italian media. Another two boats departed Greece on Sunday to join them.”We are trying to send a message to the people of Gaza that the world has not forgotten about you,” Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said before boarding in Tunisia’s northern port of Bizerte.”When our governments are failing to step up then we have no choice but to take matters into our own hands,” she told AFP.Around 20 boats that had sailed from Barcelona converged in Bizerte, with the last vessels leaving at dawn, an AFP journalist reported.Yasemin Acar, who helps coordinate the flotilla from the Maghreb, posted images on Instagram of Tunisian boats departing other ports near Tunis in the early hours.”The blockade of Gaza must end” and “We are leaving for solidarity, dignity and justice”, the caption said.The vessels, which were welcomed by support rallies in Tunisia, had transferred to Bizerte after a turbulent stay in Sidi Bou Said near Tunis.- ‘Premeditated aggression’ -The Global Sumud Flotilla said two of its boats were targeted by drone attacks on consecutive nights last week.After the second incident, Tunisian authorities denounced what they called a “premeditated aggression” and announced an investigation.European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who like Thunberg was detained aboard the Madleen sailboat during an attempt to reach Gaza in June, said she feared further attacks.”We are preparing for different scenarios,” she said, noting the most prominent figures had been split between the two largest coordinating boats “to balance things out and avoid concentrating all the visible personalities on a single vessel”.Israel blocked two earlier attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July.The departure towards famine-hit Gaza had been repeatedly postponed due to security concerns, delays in preparing some of the boats and weather conditions.Another group of boats left the French island of Corsica on Friday, hoping to participate in another fleet, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which is expected to set sail from Italy by the end of the month.On Monday, a group of activists in Egypt, which shares the only border with Gaza not controlled by Israel, also announced their support for the Sumud flotilla.They hope to participate with “one boat that can carry 34 people, donated by a fisherman,” coordinator Khaled Basiony told AFP.In June, Egyptian authorities blocked dozens of international activists intending to take part in the ‘Global March to Gaza’ to the Rafah border crossing. Many reported being beaten in Egypt, and over 200 activists were detained and deported.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday reiterated his “deep admiration” for pro-Palestinian protesters who forced the final stage of one of the most important international cycling races to be abandoned at the weekend.He also said Israel should be barred from international sporting competitions “as long as the barbarism continues” in Gaza, like Russian sport teams were penalised after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.”Our position is clear and categorical: as long as barbarity continues, neither Russia nor Israel should participate in any international competition,” the Socialist premier said.Around 100,000 protestors were present for Sunday’s final stage of the Vuelta race which was due to finish with several loops in Madrid, but was cut short around 60 kilometres (40 miles) before the finish.Protesters denounced the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team in one of the  top three races in the international cycling calendar.The team, owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams, is a private outfit and not a state team that has been hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for continuing to compete despite the vehement protests.On Sunday protesters pushed over barriers and stood in the road where cyclists were due to pass in various places along the route.Police initially intervened at another point on the route, but ultimately allowed  protesters to occupy the road peacefully.- ‘Shame for Spain’ -Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday accused Sanchez of “encouraging protesters to take to the streets” to disrupt the race, calling his government a “shame for Spain”.His comments mirrored criticism from Spain’s conservative opposition Popular Party (PP).”The government has allowed and induced the non-completion of the Vuelta and, in this way, an international embarrassment televised worldwide.” PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, wrote on X.Spain’s Federation of Jewish Communities (FCJE) condemned the justification of violence  and the spread of hostility toward the country’s roughly 45,000 Jews.”Any tolerance of violence is a democratic setback and a serious threat to social cohesion,” the group said in a statement, urging authorities to prevent such behaviour.The unrest was the culmination of pro-Palestinian protests that frequently disrupted the three-week race. Even before the final day, organisers had to shorten some stages and demonstrators had caused crashes after bursting onto the course.”What happened yesterday was absolutely unacceptable, I regret the image it gave (to the world) and it should not be repeated,” Javier Guillen, director of the Vuelta race, told a news conference on Monday.- Barcelona Tour start questioned-The 2026 Tour de France is due to start next year in Barcelona, leading to questions about whether that will be possible if there are still protests.”I don’t want to speculate about the possibility (of it being changed),” said Guillen.”Barcelona will have the Tour de France… but it’s obvious that since this Vuelta, international organisations will have to take decisions and cycling also has to work on that, proposing things.””I hope it’s all sorted (by the Tour de France) and the conflict in Gaza has finished, not just for sport but for humanitarian reasons,” he added.Spain has been one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. It recognised a Palestinian state last year.Last week the Sanchez government announced measures aimed at stopping what it called “the genocide in Gaza”.The measures include banning boats carrying fuel destined for the Israeli military from Spanish ports.Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said Monday that Spain should boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel takes part, joining other European nations threatening to pull out.

Pro-Palestinian protestors invading the Vuelta a Espana course to force the final stage of the cycling Grand Tour to be abandoned was “absolutely unacceptable”, organisers said on Monday.”What happened yesterday was absolutely unacceptable, I regret the image it gave (to the world) and it should not be repeated,” said Javier Guillen, director of the race.Around 100,000 protestors were present during the 21st and final stage of the race which was due to finish with several loops in Madrid, but was cut short around 60 kilometres before the finish in the Spanish capital.Protestors pushed over barriers and stood in the road where cyclists were due to pass in various places along the route, and chanted “Palestine won this Vuelta” after the stage was scrapped.”I don’t think we can take anything good out of what happened yesterday,” Guillen said.”It’s fine for people to take advantage of the Vuelta to make their statement, but we also demand respect for the race.”Various stages of the Vuelta had been shortened because of protests, largely against the private Israel-Premier Tech team’s participation.The protests had also led to moments of tension in the three-week Grand Tour, including crashes, with some cyclists saying they felt unsafe.”Yesterday was a sad, lamentable day, they were very tough moments, the images speak for themselves,” continued Guillen.”The boycott of the race caused us a lot of damage, that’s what hurt us the most, (but) we were able to hold the 21 stages.”Danet Jonas Vingegaard won the race for the first time in his career, adding to two Tour de France triumphs at Grand Tour level.

Leaders from Arab and Muslim countries will gather for an emergency summit in Doha on Monday, a week after Israel’s unprecedented strike on Hamas in Qatar prompted widespread anger.The joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit called by Qatar seeks to pile pressure on Israel, which has been facing mounting calls to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.Hamas says top officials survived last week’s air strike in Doha that killed six people and triggered a wave of criticism, including from US President Donald Trump.A draft final statement seen by AFP warned that “brutal Israeli aggression” put efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Arab states at risk.It “threatens all that has been achieved on the path toward establishing normal relations with Israel, including existing and future agreements”, the draft added.Israel and its main backer the United States have been trying to extend the Abraham Accords that established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020.Last week’s attack and Israel’s “genocide (and) ethnic cleansing (in Gaza)… undermines the prospects of achieving peace and peaceful coexistence in the region”, the draft statement said.”The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a preparatory meeting at the weekend.Alongside Egypt and the United States, Qatar has led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas in the war in Gaza.- ‘Actions, not just rhetoric’ -The nearly 60-country grouping in Doha will also emphasise “the concept of collective security… as well as the necessity of aligning together to face common challenges and threats”, according to the draft.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, had left the kingdom for Qatar to attend the summit, state media said.Among the leaders gathering on Monday are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will also attend.An extraordinary meeting of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council would also be held in Doha on Monday, according to Saudi state media.The United Nations Human Rights Council said it would host an urgent debate on Tuesday on Israel’s air strike targeting Hamas in Qatar.Meanwhile US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Israel in a demonstration of Washington’s unwavering support.Aziz Algashian, a Saudi-based researcher into international relations in the Middle East, said “many people are looking at actions, not just rhetoric” from the meeting in Doha.”We’ve exhausted all forms of rhetoric. Now it’s just going to have to be actions — and we’ll see what those actions will be,” he said.