A Yom Ha’atzmaut Lesson for the Spanish Prime Minister

As we celebrate the 78th year of Israel’s independence this week, the blue and white flags fluttering across our homeland serve as a reminder of a miracle. Seventy-eight years of sovereignty, of greening the desert, and of building a world-class democracy. Yet, as we mark this milestone in 2026, the “naysayers” are louder than ever. Chief among them is Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who today—on the very eve of our celebrations—announced he will propose that the EU terminate its Association Agreement with Israel this Tuesday.

But for us, it is time to stop being surprised. It is time for our own “Spanish Inquisition”: a deep, unblinking look at the ideological roots of a leader whose hostility was always a foregone conclusion.

The Return to Zion: An Ancient Echo

To understand the challenges of our 78th year, we must look back to the time of Ezra and Nechemiah. When the Jews first returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the ruins of Yerushalayim in the 6th century BCE,  they weren’t met with regional cooperation. They were met by the original “Anti-Zionists”: Sanvallat the Horonite and Toviah the Ammonite.

Sanvallat and Toviah were enemies of the returning Jews who made several attempts to stop Nechemiah from rebuilding the walls of Yerushalayim. They are first mentioned in Nechemiah 2:10 as being deeply upset about the Jewish mission:

When Sanvallat the Horonite and Toviah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

When Sanvallat the Horonite and Toviah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Just as the modern State of Israel represents a miraculous return to indigenous sovereignty, the return in the days of Ezra was a restoration that infuriated........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)