Israel Rebukes Pamplona Festival Destroy Israel Banner

Israel's Foreign Ministry rebuked a display at Spain's San Fermin festival after a large banner calling to "Destroy Israel" was raised before crowds in Pamplona. Reports and the European Jewish Congress said the banner appeared during the July 6 Chupinazo opening event, carried the initials EHKS, and included a crossed-out Israeli flag. The ministry called the scene a call for destruction of the Jewish State in Spain, while Jewish groups said such rhetoric goes beyond legitimate politics and normalizes antisemitism. The incident adds diplomatic weight to Israel's warning that anti-Zionist language in Europe can become open hostility toward Jews and the Jewish state.