HYBRID THREATS BASED ON ANTISEMITISM AND ANTI-ISRAELI PROPAGANDA IN CURRENT SPANISH-ISRAELI RELATIONS

Abstract

Israel and Spain have faced a range of security challenges in recent years, including terrorism, cyber-attacks, and disinformation campaigns. Though Spain-Israeli relations have been constantly developing, the researchers point out the contrary views towards Israel within Spanish society and politics. There are organizations as well as individuals within Spanish society that spread antisemitism and anti-Israeli propaganda, often based on a distorted and biased view of the Arab-Israeli conflict mixed with misconceptions, stereotypes, and misinformation about Israel and its policies. Moreover, they are not only threatening the Jewish people, but also undermining the values of tolerance, respect, and human dignity of non-Jewish population in Spain, which are either countering such crimes or supporting them directly or indirectly. Therefore, fighting the antisemitism and anti-Israeli propaganda by Spain with the support from Israel, can strengthen the human rights policies in these countries and contribute to the development of a more tolerant international society. Methodology of this study combines the methods of comparative and descriptive analysis, that are used to investigate the dynamics of mutual relations between Israel and Spain in countering hybrid threats, focusing on antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda within the context of international relations. The comparative method was used to compare different events in Spain-Israeli relations in order to identify the patterns and tendencies in mutual relations. The descriptive method was used to characterize these peculiarities. Research objectives of this study are aimed at analyzing of the hybrid threats based on antisemitism and anti-Israeli propaganda in current Spanish-Israeli relations and suggest the ways of countering these threats and promoting a more constructive and mutually beneficial relationship. The study seeks to identify mutual mistakes in current Spanish- Israeli relations, and offer a complex understanding of the cooperative efforts necessity. Specific features of this study: the human security problems in international relations are researched, focusing on the examination of the complexities of antisemitic and anti- Israel narratives, mistakes and misconceptions of Spain towards Israel. The study has the following scientific novelty: for the first time in Ukrainian science, the hybrid threats based on antisemitism and anti-Israeli propaganda in current Spanish-Israeli relations have been researched. Main Results of the Study: the clear evidence of increasing antisemitism and anti- Israeli propaganda in Spain, the absence of forceful statements and actions from Spanish authorities towards terrorists and their supporters in EU and the Spanish government`s opposition to recognizing the full and legitimate right of Israel to protect the population of the Holy Land from the Arab terrorist organizations, raises serious concerns and negatively affect the mutual relations between countries.