Israel has stated that it does not recognize Catalonia—but nor does it oppose it. In an official communique, the Middle Eastern state led by Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to respond to the Spanish government's pressure to come out against the recognition of the Catalan Republic.
The position of the Jerusalem government is much nearer to a pro-Catalan position than the opposition expressed by Germany and France to the new republic.
Comunicado oficial de Israel. No hay apoyo a la unidad de España ni rechazo a la independencia de Cataluña. Se considera una crisis interna pic.twitter.com/C0V4G47dK7
— Ariel Kanievsky (@ArielKanievsky) 1 of November 2017
Translation: Official Communique from Israel. Israel neither supports the unity of Spain nor rejects the independence of Catalonia. We consider it an internal crisis. — Ariel Kanievsky
The communique, signed by the Israeli foreign minister, says that it is hoped "that the internal crisis in Spain will be solved quickly and peacefully and through broad national consensus". Israel's ambassador to Spain, Daniel Kutner, said on Tuesday that the country would not make a declaration in order to avoid being involved in a "Spanish internal matter".
As well, the text indicates that "Israel and Spain share longstanding, strong and friendly relations, rooted in our common historical heritage and shared democratic values."
For his part, Israeli foreign affairs spokesperson Emmanuel Nahsón has vigorously denied that president Puigdemont has asked for asylum in Israel to avoid the charges being laid against him by Spanish justice and has discarded the possibility that the Catalan president may be considering travelling to the country. "This is fake news", he affirmed.
In Israeli political circles it is commented that Israel's neutrality has been a reaction to the hostility it receives in international forums from Spain, which from the Israeli point of view is also an important financing source for anti-Zionist organizations and often criticizes Israel's actions in its conflicts with Arab nations more harshly than other European Union countries. The Israeli government's pronouncement also comes in the context of a planned visit to Madrid by the Israeli president, Rueven Rivlin, this Sunday on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Spain.