Madrid Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Emmy Awards: Artists Call For ‘Free Palestine’

CrossFireArabia
September 15, 2025

Several artists used their appearances to call for “Free Palestine,” wearing a keffiyeh and handbag, saying “CEASE FIRE!” during Sunday night’s 77th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California.

“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder won her first Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy series and closed off her acceptance speech by saying: “Go Birds, F— ICE and Free Palestine.”

She later went on to explain her statement while getting her name chiseled on the trophy backstage.

“It is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel. Our religion and our culture … is really separate to this sort of ethnonationalist state,” she said as reported in Anadolu.

Javier Bardem, wearing a keffiyeh and voicing his support for Film Workers for Palestine, announced on the red carpet entrance: “Here I am today denouncing the genocide in Gaza… Free Palestine!”

In the week leading up to the Emmys, 3,900 industry names signed an open pledge declaring that they will not work with Israeli institutions and film companies that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

The pledge statement, published on Monday by the organization Film Workers for Palestine, said that examples of complicity include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”

The pledge states that examples of complicity include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them,” according to Variety.

“What we are witnessing is a genocide. And as I said in your show, in 4k alive on a daily basis, this has to stop,” Bardem said during an interview.

He continued by stating that he won’t and cannot work with those who “justify or support the genocide.”

“I can’t. That’s as simple as that. And we shouldn’t be able to do that in this industry and in any other industry. Today in Madrid, in Spain, the cycle, the bicycle tour, it was stopped by thousands and thousands and thousands of people on the streets marching saying we can’t allow the team of Israel being in this tour,” Bardem said.

Megan Stalter of “Hacks” also posed on the red carpet holding a handbag that wrote “CEASE FIRE!” on a white background and bold characters.

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Spanish Teachers Demand Arms Embargo of Israel

CrossFireArabia
September 3, 2025

Dozens of teachers locked themselves inside a cultural center in Madrid on Tuesday, demanding that the Spanish government impose an arms embargo on Israel, local media reported.

The protest at the Circulo de Bellas Artes center, organized by the collective Greater Palestine: Education against Genocide, began with a teachers’ assembly and turned into a sit-in, according to El Diario.

“We’re not going to move from here,” said Carlos Diez, a 63-year-old secondary school teacher and member of the initiative, which brings together around 60 educators as well as figures from the cultural sector according to Anadolu.

The group called on Spain’s Cabinet to approve a long-announced decree halting arms sales to Israel.

The initiative seeks to mobilize the education community in support of Palestine amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

The movement also plans to push teaching councils across Spain to adopt declarations in favor of an arms embargo and to demand the cutting of diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel.

The group announced further sit-ins in other cities and said it will hold a public reading of the names of the more than 18,500 children killed in Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 63,600 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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1,200 Spanish Lawyers Demand an Arms Embargo on Israel

CrossFireArabia
December 18, 2024

On 17 December 2024, a coalition of over 1,200 Spanish jurists—including lawyers, judges, and prosecutors—gathered outside the Spanish Parliament in Madrid to present a petition urging the government to enforce a comprehensive arms embargo against “Israel”. The petition reflects growing concerns within Spain’s legal community regarding the ethical and legal implications of continuing military relations with “Israel”, particularly in light of recent conflicts and allegations of human rights violations.

This initiative aligns with a broader movement within Spain advocating for a reassessment of its military engagements with “Israel”. Notably, Spain had previously suspended arms sales to “Israel” in October 2023, a decision reaffirmed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has called on the international community to halt arms exports to “Israel” to prevent further escalation in the region according to the Safa Press Agency.

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Hunger Strike in Spain For Palestine

CrossFireArabia
November 27, 2024

At a press conference in parliament yesterday, Jorge Pueyo declared his support for a hunger strike initiated on 19 November by the Aragon Palestine House and the Jerusalem Association in his constituency, the country’s autonomous region of Aragon.

He confirmed that he began his hunger strike yesterday in solidarity with Palestine and will continue it through Friday. Pueyo, who serves as deputy spokesperson in parliament for the Sumar alliance, a minor partner in Spain’s minority left-wing coalition government, also called for Madrid to sever diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, impose a full arms embargo on Israel and promote the visibility of the Palestinian cause.

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France, Italy, and Spain Condemn Israeli Attacks on UN Peacekeepers

CrossFireArabia
October 12, 2024

France, Italy, and Spain have strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, labeling them “unjustifiable” and in violation of international law. This follows two consecutive explosions near the Lebanese-Palestinian border, which injured several members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The attacks have sparked concern over the increasing risks to UN personnel as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate.

In a joint statement, the three European nations expressed outrage, demanding an immediate halt to the violence. “These attacks constitute a serious violation of Israel’s obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law,” the statement read. The nations also called for increased protection for peacekeepers and urged both sides to de-escalate the situation according to the Quds News Network.

France, which contributes around 700 troops to UNIFIL, has been particularly vocal in its criticism. French President Emmanuel Macron summoned Israel’s envoy and demanded an explanation, emphasizing that the targeting of UN peacekeepers is “absolutely unacceptable.” Macron further proposed halting arms exports to Israel as a means to curb the violence, suggesting that stopping the flow of weapons could help prevent further escalation.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed Macron’s call, urging the international community to cease selling arms to Israel. Following a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Sanchez stated, “It is urgent that we stop contributing to the violence by supplying weapons to Israel.” Sanchez has been one of the most outspoken European leaders against Israel’s recent military offensives, which he described as an “invasion” of Lebanon.

Both Macron and Sanchez’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who defended Israel’s military actions as necessary for self-defense. As the conflict intensifies, international leaders are increasingly pressing for diplomatic solutions to prevent further casualties.