Senior Israel official supports Catalonia secession from Spain

A senior Israeli government official has expressed support for Catalonia’s referendum of separation from Spain.

Deputy Defence Minister Eliyahu Ben-Dahan described Spain as “hypocritical” for refusing to allow Catalonia to hold a referendum on its independence.

“Spain has demanded over the year to give full rights for the Palestinians, but it is not prepared to allow Catalan citizens even to hold a referendum,” said Ben-Dahan of the right-wing Jewish Home party.

The Catalan government announced yesterday that 90 per cent of the 2.26 million who voted in the referendum had voted in favour of secession from Spain.

Read: Director of Mossad: ‘we carry out thousands of operations in the enemy countries every year’

Spain announced the referendum was illegal and unconstitutional.

Israel has recently supported a referendum held by the Kurds on separation from Iraq amid international rejection.