Pro-Israel groups and the Jewish community in Spain slammed the Spanish foreign ministry for expressing “deep concern at the loss of many dozens of lives” of Palestinians as a result of Israel’s “use of force” in reaction to attacks against its citizens.

In a statement published earlier this week, the ministry also called the killing by Palestinians of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and other Israelis “terrorist attacks” and “hate crimes.”

The ministry’s statement came in reaction to the killing of a Jewish mother of six, Dfna Meir, two weeks ago at her home in the West Bank settlement of Otniel, and two other attacks that occurred thereafter in settlements.

In addition to condemning those attacks, the statement said : “The government is also deeply worried about the loss of many dozens of human lives among the Palestinian population as a consequence of the use of force by agents of Israeli authorities in reaction to the attacks and calls on all parties to abandon all acts of violence or instigation thereof, as those can exacerbate the situation.” The statement added: “It is necessary to break this cycle of violence.”

For the pro-Israel groups, the statement suggests that the ministry “explains that the Palestinian kill as a logical result of the use of force” by Israelis, while many of the Palestinians killed in recent weeks were shot while trying to kill Israelis.

“The ministry apparently considers attacks against Jewish girls in supermarkets and others, comparable to shooting the terrorists that perpetrate them,” the groups said. .

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of inciting who commented attacks against Israelis in the following terms : ‘’As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism.”

‘’These comments would only bolster terrorism,’’ Netanyahu said.