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British Holocaust denier, David Irving.
 (AP)
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Last update - 10:58 06/09/2009
Spanish politico: Holocaust denier interview helps Israel
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Tags: Holocaust, David Irving 

Israel's image in Spain can only benefit from the upcoming publication of an interview with Holocaust denier David Irving in a Spanish paper, a senior member of Spain's ruling party told Haaretz.

"Israel can only score points from this, because it will infuriate people," Congress Member Delia Blanco Teran, who is president of the Socialist Party in the city of Madrid, said Friday during a visit to Israel. She went on to criticize coverage of Israel and Jewish issues in the Spanish media.

Israel's ambassador to Spain recently complained to the editor of El Mundo, calling the daily's decision to run the Irving interview "harmful" to free speech. Blanco said that printing the interview was "a bad idea but part of a free, democratic society." Irving, she said, "is a bit crazy. This is a provocative paper, trying to start an absurd debate about a non-debatable issue."
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The Spanish politician said running the Irving piece would be comparable to Haaretz "running a revisionist article about Spain's transition into democracy from dictatorship."

On her visit - organized by the Madrid-based Israel-Spain solidarity association, ASEI - Blanco led a number of prominent Socialists on meetings with Israeli and Palestinian politicians. The delegation from the Socialist Party - described by one of the Israeli trip co-organizers as "not traditionally Israel-friendly" - did not visit the Gaza Strip.

"Public opinion about Israel in Spain is different than what we see in the media," Blanco said. "The Spanish are the opposite of anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli. It's absurd to think this about a people which cohabited with Jews for centuries, because anti-Semitism is like hating our own roots." Israel's ambassador to Spain last week urged the Spanish government to control the "anti-Semitic attacks by leftist intellectuals."

Many Spanish journalists cover "Israel's complex conflict superficially," Blanco said, but added that the Israeli government's close relations with the administration of former U.S. president George W. Bush has harmed Israel's image in Spain.

"People in Spain do not understand its regional context as a Western country in the Middle East," Blanco concluded. "Israel is seen as a European country, and not enough consideration is given to the fact that it's not in Europe."

Related articles:
  • Spain FM 'regrets' interview with Holocaust denier
  • Israel envoy: Spain must rein in Leftists' anti-Semitic attacks
  • Israel slams Spanish publication of Holocaust denier interview
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      1.   Revisionism at what intellectual cost? 04:21  |  Daniel Garcia. 06/09/09
      2.   good said: 08:35  |  yakov 06/09/09
      3.   Studies indicate Spanish are very Antisemitic. 09:34  |  Elly 06/09/09
      4.   Even bad publicity is good publicity for David Irving... 12:28  |  Mark 06/09/09
      5.   Cohabited with Jew for centuries? 12:44  |  Sherlock Holmes 06/09/09
      6.   #3. According to people like you ... 12:52  |  Mark 06/09/09
      7.   #5 sherlock aint so clever , franco admitted 15:40  |  v hardman 06/09/09
      8.   Yes there has been the holocaust. 6.000.000 09:40  |  Igor 07/09/09
      9.   do opinions only go one-way??? 04:10  |  baltasar 08/09/09
      10.   spanish politico 04:19  |  Delores E 08/09/09
      11.   SPAIN has STILL got an Inquisition mentality at heart !! 02:36  |  Miguel Almela Perez 09/09/09
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