Spanish socialist überweenie Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero shows his class by wearing the symbol of a death cult society: Israel: Spain relations hurt by PM’s accusation IDF uses ‘abuses force’. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

Israel’s envoy to Spain said on Thursday the two countries’ relations had been damaged after the Spanish prime minister accused Israel of using “abusive force” during an event at which he also wore a Palestinian scarf.

Spain’s ability to use its influence to help defuse the growing Middle East conflict could suffer following the speech by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to a meeting of young Socialists on Wednesday, Ambassador Victor Harel said.

His comments came as European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, himself a Spaniard, was involved in talks aimed at ending fighting between Israel, Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militants.

“Each declaration which is not balanced has consequences for parties who want to use their influence,” Harel told reporters at Madrid’s Ritz Hotel where he listened to Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos at a conference. Relations with Spain “are not in their best moment”, he said.

Zapatero, who took power in a surprise election victory following Islamist train bombings in Madrid in 2004 and immediately pulled Spanish troops out of Iraq, had told the young Socialists: “No one should defend themselves with abusive force which does not protect innocent human beings.”

Spain wants the United Nations Security Council to agree to deploy international troops to stop fighting which has claimed hundreds of lives since Israel launched bombardments nine days ago to stop Hizbollah attacking it with rockets.

Moratinos, who was once the EU’s Middle East peace envoy, angrily denied an accusation at the conference by a former Spanish Jewish community leader that Zapatero’s remarks were anti-Semitic.

UPDATE at 7/20/06 8:45:30 am:

At Ynet, more on the rise of the Spanish antisemitic socialists: In Spain, anti-Semitism is new leftist trend.