ACOM, the pro-Israel lobby pulling strings in Spain
ACOM, the pro-Israel organization in Spain, sues journalists, donates to VOX and is linked to a network dating back to 1920. Lobby or just an association?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
ACOM: the pro-Israel spider's web in Spain
The debate over foreign influence in Spanish politics has once again put ACOM, an organization with a distinctly pro-Israel agenda, at the center of criticism. Its detractors describe it as a lobby that operates in the courts, in political parties and in the media.
A network of organizations with roots in 1920
This is nothing new. The Casa Universal de los Sefardíes was founded in 1920; the Asociación de Amistad Oooo-Cristiana in 1964; and the Asociación de Amistad España-Israel was legalized in 1979. The organized presence of pro-Israel interests in Spain is almost as old as the Spanish state itself. According to this view, ACOM would be the latest visible link in the chain.
Lawsuits and donations: the enforcing arm
Among the actions attributed to it, the lawsuit against Rubén Gisbert over his statements about the Holocaust stands out, as does its role as a prominent donor to VOX. At the same time, the call to ban all foreign pressure groups is gaining support: their interests, the argument goes, do not always align with those of Spain.
The uncomfortable question remains: how much weight does a private lobby carry when it is not even required to disclose its accounts? For now, the answer remains up in the air.
The debate over foreign influence in Spanish politics has once again put ACOM, an organization with a distinctly pro-Israel agenda, at the center of criticism. Its detractors describe it as a lobby that operates in the courts, in political parties and in the media.
A network of organizations with roots in 1920
This is nothing new. The Casa Universal de los Sefardíes was founded in 1920; the Asociación de Amistad Oooo-Cristiana in 1964; and the Asociación de Amistad España-Israel was legalized in 1979. The organized presence of pro-Israel interests in Spain is almost as old as the Spanish state itself. According to this view, ACOM would be the latest visible link in the chain.
Lawsuits and donations: the enforcing arm
Among the actions attributed to it, the lawsuit against Rubén Gisbert over his statements about the Holocaust stands out, as does its role as a prominent donor to VOX. At the same time, the call to ban all foreign pressure groups is gaining support: their interests, the argument goes, do not always align with those of Spain.
The uncomfortable question remains: how much weight does a private lobby carry when it is not even required to disclose its accounts? For now, the answer remains up in the air.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
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