The last week of 2006 was occupied by the death of former President Gerald Ford, the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the passing of the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown.  So it should come as little surprise that some events that would have normally attracted more public attention and scrutiny glided well beneath the radar.  This was certainly the case with the car bombing at the Madrid Barajas International Airport on December 30th.  The blast injured 26 people and has thus far resulted in the death of one man from Ecuador.  Another Ecuadorian national is missing and presumed dead.

Shortly after the bombing took place, the Basque terrorist group ETA claimed responsibility for the attack.  This effectively ended the “permanent” ceasefire it had initiated in March 2006 between itself and the Spanish government led by Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Americans will most likely remember that Zapatero came to power in Spain in March 2004, only three days after the al Qaeda terrorist attacks on the Madrid trains that resulted in the deaths of 191 people and causing injury to more than 1700.  Zapatero immediately withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq thus placating Islamic terrorists and their tactics.  Now in office for nearly three years, Zapatero has been strongly critical of the Bush Administration while embracing the likes of Fidel Castro, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales, the newly elected President of Bolivia who models himself after Chavez.  Zapatero went as far as to attempt to sell Spanish military aircraft and ships to Venezuela in 2005 though the sale was blocked by the U.S. Department of Defense in early 2006.  Zapatero also initiated the UN backed Alliance of Civilizations, a purported dialogue between the West and Islam which is little more than a forum for apologists of Islamic terrorism including former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, a supporter of Hezbollah. 

In the wake of the attack on the Madrid Airport, Zapatero put all talks with ETA on hold though he stopped short of declaring the ceasefire over.  Zapatero stated that the attack was “absolutely incompatible with the permanent ceasefire that ETA declared nine months ago.” Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Spain’s Minister of the Interior, has declared that all peace talks with ETA have broken off.

What is curious about all this is that while Zapatero is quick to condemn terrorism inside his borders he is happy to embrace Palestinian terrorism and criticize Israel for defending itself. 

In July 2006, while Israel was defending itself against attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and from Hamas in Gaza, Zapatero addressed a rally of the Socialist Party’s youth wing, Juventudes Socialistas de Espana while wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh.  During his address, Zapatero blasted Israel for using “abusive force” against Hamas and Hezbollah.  Never mind that Hamas and Hezbollah had each kidnapped Israeli soldiers from Israeli territory and had fired rockets into Israeli territory deliberating targeting civilians.  Zapatero was down with the jihadists.  Indeed, his Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaube, defended Zapatero’s words and deeds stating that Israel’s actions had “given wings to Hamas and Hezbollah” and that his wearing of the keffiyeh was “merely a friendly gesture.” (http://www.thinkspain.com) Curiously, Cuyaube has just begun his term as Chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for 2007. 

Could you imagine the international outcry if Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were to criticize Zapatero’s efforts to clip the wings of ETA?  Could you imagine the indignation if Olmert were to address Kadima’s youth wing by donning the snake and the axe – ETA’s symbols?  Could you imagine the outrage of Zapatero and company if Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni were to declare that Olmert’s action were but friendly gestures and added that Spain was better off under General Franco? 

It is easy for Prime Minister Zapatero and members of his government to criticize Israel and it is a shame because it has consequences for them.  While it could be argued that ETA is not in the same league as al Qaeda in terms of their organizational, fundraising and recruitment methods it is nonetheless indisputable that they wish to achieve Basque independence through violent means and have no qualms about killing innocent Spanish civilians.  Zapatero, of all Prime Ministers, should be able to identify with Israel’s struggle with Islamic terrorism – Palestinian and otherwise.  The fact that Zapatero is both unable and unwilling to see Israel’s struggle with Islamic terrorism in the same manner that he views Spain’s struggle with Basque terrorism demonstrates his shortcomings as a political leader.  It also demonstrates that he is also blind to the difference between a civilized country and the forces that wish to see it destroyed – at least where it concerns Jews.  Whatever the eventual response of the Spanish government to the ETA car bombing of the Madrid Airport, Prime Minister Zapatero has shown himself to be Just Spain Stupid.

Aaron Goldstein