From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
‘Destroy Israel’ banner shown at Pamplona’s running of the bulls festival
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleZev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
A banner reading “Destroy Israel” was unfurled during the opening ceremony of Spain’s annual “Running of the bulls” festival in Pamplona, drawing condemnation from Jewish organizations.
Video circulating on social media showed the banner stretched above the crowd before the traditional chupinazo rocket launch yesterday that marks the start of the weeklong San Fermin festival, known for its running of the bulls. The banner featured the words “Destroy Israel” alongside an image of an Israeli flag crossed out.
The initials “EHKS” appeared at the bottom of the banner, referring to a far-left socialist organization within the Basque Socialist Movement.
The European Jewish Congress condemns the display, writing on X that “such rhetoric promotes hatred, fuels hostility and contributes to an environment in which antisemitism is increasingly normalized.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also calls out the display.
“500 years after the Inquisition, calls for the destruction of the Jewish State in the streets of Spain,” it writes on X. “Shame on you.”
A banner reading “Destroy Israel” was displayed before thousands of people during the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Spain,
Calls for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state go far beyond legitimate political expression. Such rhetoric promotes hatred, fuels hostility… pic.twitter.com/gM8FbfGlof
— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) July 7, 2026
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