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Spanish politicians reject Holocaust memorial

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Politicians from the Spanish region of Galicia have rejected a draft resolution to commemorate the Holocaust, according to reports.

In Spain's provincial administrations, a council of speakers must approve a national resolution before it is submitted to the local parliament.

In Galicia, a veto in the council of speakers prevented the resolution on Shoah commemoration from going to a vote, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The block came from a left wing coalition and a nationalist group - respectively the Galician Left Alternative (AGE) and the Galician Nationalist Block (BNG).

AGE leader Xosé-Manuel Beiras reportedly rejected the resolution because "We do not want to support a statement promoted by the state of Israel which is dyed in the wool of imperialism."

Professor Beiras, who has accused Israel of being a "racist state" and committing genocide against the Palestinians, added that "We have repeatedly condemned the [Jewish] Holocaust but have never condemned any of the other [genocides]."

According to the JTA, Pedro Gomez-Valades, president of the Galician Association for Friendship with Israel, issued a joint statement with the Federation condemning the move. It read: "Similar resolutions had passed since 2010, but this time representatives of AGE refused to ok the draft resolution in the Council of Spokespersons ahead of a plenum vote."

Holocaust commemoration motions were passed in the Galician parliament in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. However, this year, no resolution was passed.

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