Outcry Against Gabriel Rufián After Comparing Gaza to Auschwitz: 'Antisemite'

Gabriel Rufián, spokesperson for ERC in Congress, has caused significant controversy after comparing the situation in Gaza to the Nazi genocide at Auschwitz. During an intervention in the government's control session, Rufián labeled Israel as a "genocidal state" and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as a "war criminal." His controversial statement about the situation in Gaza sparked furious reactions both inside and outside Congress.

In his intervention, Rufián began by alluding to the "kidnapping" of a Palestinian filmmaker who was detained (and already released) by Israeli forces. He asserted that if the Israeli Prime Minister acts this way with an Oscar winner, "what won't he do with anonymous people?" However, the severity of his comparison to Auschwitz quickly overshadowed this argument, provoking a wave of criticism.

The pro-independence politician expressed that the only difference between Gaza and Auschwitz is that "the world still has time to stop what's happening in Gaza." These words, which relate a war to a planned holocaust, have provoked strong condemnation on social media. The comparison was seen by many as insensitive and disrespectful to the six million Jews annihilated by Nazi Germany:

Harsh Criticism on Social Media

The comments on social media have been very negative. Users have labeled Rufián's statement as "irresponsible" and "lacking sensitivity." Many reproach him for comparing an ongoing war with the systematic extermination of millions of people. "In Auschwitz, 1.5 million Jews were exterminated in gas chambers. None of them had killed, raped, or kidnapped Germans. None of them were armed, launched rockets, or held hostages," a user reminded him.

Similarly, the labels "anti-Semitic" and "provocative" have been recurrent among his detractors. "You can't be a worse person, it surpasses everything," "This one doesn't know what to do to cling to the position," users said. Others have compared the treatment Rufián himself would receive in Israel and Palestine: "The difference is that in Gaza they would hang him, and in Israel, they wouldn't."

The debate over Israel's policies and the conflict in Gaza is not new in Spanish politics. In fact, it is a particularly thorny issue with effective political consequences. Despite the lack of a budget, Podemos, for example, demanded breaking any diplomatic relations with Israel to continue supporting the government.