Spain's prime minister calls for Israel sports ban

MADRID -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez connected Monday called for Israel to beryllium banned from planetary sporting events aft pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the last signifier of the Spanish Vuelta cycling contention successful Madrid.

Speaking to members of his Socialist Party, Sánchez said Israel, conscionable similar Russia, should beryllium boycotted from planetary sports events due to the fact that of its subject run successful Gaza.

"The sports organizations should see whether it's ethical for Israel to support participating successful planetary competitions. Why expel Russia aft the penetration of Ukraine and not expel Israel aft the penetration of Gaza?" Sanchez said. "Until the barbarity ends, neither Russia nor Israel should beryllium successful immoderate planetary competition."

Sánchez spoke a time aft Sunday's last signifier had to beryllium chopped abbreviated aft protesters threw barriers onto the roadworthy and clashed with constabulary adjacent the decorativeness enactment successful the Spanish capital. The protesters were opposing the information of Israeli squad Israel Premier Tech successful the Grand Tour cycling event.

Spanish authorities accidental much than 100,000 radical took portion successful the protestation Sunday. Two radical were detained by constabulary and 22 radical were injured, nary of them seriously.

Spain's authorities had already expressed sympathy with the protesters and suggested that the Israel Premier Tech squad should person withdrawn from the three-week-long contention that became a diplomatic battleground.

The squad removed its sanction from its uniforms but remained successful the contention until the extremity contempt protesters' calls for it to beryllium expelled.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar connected Sunday criticized Sánchez for what helium deemed was encouragement for the protesters. Madrid's mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, besides criticized Sánchez and described Sunday's events arsenic a bittersweet time for the Spanish capital.

Visma-Lease a Bike rider Jonas Vingegaard was confirmed arsenic the wide victor of the race.

There was nary signifier victor and the podium ceremonial was called disconnected due to the fact that of information concerns. Organizers said the last signifier "ended aboriginal to guarantee the information of the riders."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the protesters for "spoiling" the contention and criticized Sanchez for "praising" the protests.

"Instead I privation to praise the athletes and everyone who doesn't spoil things for others," she wrote connected Instagram.

Vuelta contention manager Javier Guillén connected Monday defended the determination to fto the Israeli squad enactment successful the race.

"We had to abide to the norms of the International Cycling Union. It's the UCI that regulates the close of admittance to the race," Guillén said astatine a quality conference. "We ne'er got into immoderate different benignant of debate. All we wanted to bash was to beryllium capable to decorativeness the contention with normalcy, and that wasn't possible."

The Vuelta was disrupted by protesters during respective stages, with immoderate having to beryllium chopped abbreviated and others interrupted.

Guillén said the Vuelta protests would apt person implications for aboriginal sports events with Israeli participants.

"After this Vuelta, the planetary entities volition request to marque decisions and cycling volition request to person immoderate interior discussions to find solutions," helium said.

Next year's Tour de France begins with a signifier successful Barcelona.

"Hopefully everything volition beryllium solved by then," helium said. "I don't privation to speculate with immoderate possibilities. I'm definite Barcelona volition person a large Tour de France."