Protests by Palestinian supporters at the Vuelta have grown so large that leading politicians in the country are being asked to comment on the issue. For example, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he supports the removal of Israel-Premier Tech from the Vuelta.
"I understand that and I would definitely be in favor of it," Albares said when asked if he thought the team should be removed from the race, adding that only the sport's governing body, the UCI, could make the decision. "You know that it's not the decision of the Spanish government, it's the decision of the International Cyclist's Union. So the Spanish government has no say in the participation."
Ibares also cited Russia's suspension from sporting events following its invasion of Ukraine as an example of how the current case should be handled. In March 2022, the UCI suspended all Russian and Belarusian teams.
"We cannot continue to maintain a normal relationship with Israel as if nothing is happening," said Albares. "We need to send a message to Israel, to Israeli society. They need to understand that Europe and Israel can only interact - as stipulated in Article 2 of the Association Agreement - if human rights are respected, because as democracies, our relations are based and operate on that."
Spain is one of the European Union countries to officially recognize Palestine as a state, doing so in May 2024. The Vuelta will end in Madrid on September 14.
