Vox leader says he asked Israel not to support Catalan independence

Vox leader Santiago Abascal said Monday that he asked the Israeli government that its parliament "not support the independence of Catalonia," and claimed to have received "assurances" that it would not favor Catalan secession.

Abascal made the remarks on ‘La Revuelta,’ a late-night talk show on public broadcaster RTVE. Asked about his party's relationship with Israel, he said he had spoken three times with the Israeli government. 

The first conversation was to express condolences after the 2023 Hamas attacks, the second was the request on Catalan independence, and the third was to seek support on the issue of Ceuta, the Spanish city on Morocco's northern coast.

Abascal brought up the Israeli contacts while discussing Ceuta, where thousands of people crossed the border from Morocco in late July. He reiterated that, from his far-right party's perspective, the events amounted to an "invasion." 

Asked about Vox's good relations with the United States and Israel, both of which have supported Morocco on several occasions, Abascal said the party "has allies, but is no one's vassal." 

He said he would personally confront "any political leader whose actions affect Spanish interests globally."

Abascal also said "state intervention" is necessary to address "abusive practices" and resolve problems with access to housing, and acknowledged that defining what constitutes a "vulture fund" is a matter of "great complexity." 

He said the housing problem is directly linked to the arrival of immigrants and a lack of supply. 

He said he is not "happy" with the "political tone in Spain" and described Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as a "tyrant-in-training," arguing that Sánchez is trying to take control of and manipulate all state institutions.