EJA chairman calls on EU Parliament head to suspend Spanish MEP for ‘blatant antisemitism’

The Chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Margolin, has called on European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to suspend Spanish MEP Manuel Pineda, Chairman of the parliament’s delegation for relations with Palestine, following an antisemitic social media post.

Spanish Member of the European Parliament Manuel Pineda, chair of the delegation for relations with Palestine, shared an Instagram story which is a clear breach of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, reports the European Jewish Press.

The Instagram story video depicted a poster of Adolf Hitler giving a Nazi salute under a banner that reads ‘never again’. A hooded man then rips off part of the poster to reveal Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose face and Israeli flag replace Hitler’s and the swastika, leaving the word ‘again’ visible.

In a letter, the Chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA) called on European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to suspend the Spanish MEP. „Regretfully, only 3 days into this new year, I must write to you concerning a blatant act of antisemitism committed by a Member of your house. I understand that in a war, feelings can run high. But this can never be an excuse to allow carte blanche to any hate speech, antisemitism included.”

„In November 2022, I had the privilege of handing over our King David Award to you in Krakow; the next day, we toured Auschwitz together. You are a leader who understands what is at stake, and the dark path that antisemitism can lead us to. I remember your inspiring words well. You said we should honour the legacy of the victims of the Shoah „by never forgetting, by never being indifferent, and by always, always speaking up”.

Rabbi Margolin then concludes that it is time to speak up now, as rates of antisemitism in Europe are sky high when a public figure like Mr Pineda should never allow themselves to show such blatant antisemitism publicly.

„You must show him that antisemitism is not welcome in the European Parliament. A suspension from the house would be the minimum we would expect.”