Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s assessment of the influx of irregular migrants in Ceuta has turned into a diplomatic dispute following objections from Russia and Israel.
Speaking about the influx that took place on July 30-31 in Ceuta, Spain’s territory in North Africa, Sanchez alleged during a radio program on August 31 that Russia and Israel were also behind the incident. Sanchez also pointed to a role played by far-right groups.
Spanish government spokeswoman Elma Saiz, who also serves as minister of inclusion, social security and migration, answered questions from journalists following a Cabinet meeting.
Saiz was asked about separate statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who accused Sanchez of lying and demanded concrete evidence from the Spanish government.
The government spokeswoman said there was evidence that online forums in Russia and Israel had fueled the events in Ceuta with the aim of polarizing and dividing the European Union. Saiz based her assessment on internal reports from Spain’s Foreign Ministry and a report published by the European Commission on August 6.
Saiz said the European Commission’s report identified Russia as a source of disinformation linked to the events in Ceuta. She urged those wishing to examine the allegations to check the social media content.
Sanchez argued that if Russia had disseminated disinformation or Israel had generated disinformation by criticizing the Spanish government, this was not driven by concerns about the migration debate in Europe. Sanchez assessed that the stance was a reaction to Spain’s political approach to Gaza and Ukraine.
Saiz did not answer when asked whether they would take any legal action against Russia and Israel on the grounds that they had disseminated disinformation.
