The International Cycling Union slammed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday for remarks praising violent anti-Israel protesters who forced the cancelation of a recent race in Spain.
La Vuelta, Spain’s elite cycling race, came to an abrupt halt Sunday as anti-Israel protesters blocked the course to protest the inclusion of an Israeli team, forcing the cancelation of the final stage. They had collided with cyclists in earlier stages.
Sanchez, who leads a viciously anti-Israel government, praised the protesters. The Jerusalem Post reported:
Israel should be excluded from all international competitions as long as the Gaza War goes on, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, during a Monday meeting with party members and other left-wing officials.
“It’s important that sports organizations think about the ethics of including Israel in their international competitions,” Sanchez said. “Why was Russia kicked out after invading Ukraine and not Israel after it invaded Gaza?”
Sanchez overlooked the fact that Israel was invaded first — by Hamas terrorists, on October 7, 2023.
The International Cycling Union responded: “We regret the fact that the Spanish Prime Minister and his government have supported actions that could hinder the smooth running of a sporting competition and, in some cases, expressed their admiration for the demonstrators.” It also said the prime minister’s remarks had been contrary to the “Olympic values of unity, mutual respect, and peace.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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