Amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Israel and Spain, where Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has criticized Jerusalem and its leaders, the popular Spanish satirical TV show El Intermedio on LaSexta—akin to America’s Saturday Night Live—targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with unusually sharp mockery.
The show’s host, renowned comedian El Gran Wyoming, joined other presenters in raising their middle fingers at Netanyahu for several minutes during a recent broadcast. LaSexta, known for its anti-Israel stance, reflects broader hostility, with sources familiar with Israel-Spain relations describing the segment as mild compared to widespread incitement in Spain.
Wyoming referenced a prior social media post by the show’s team, tagging Netanyahu and showing him giving the middle finger as a sign of disrespect. He called Netanyahu a “murderer” committing “genocide” and sarcastically remarked that he has a “small heart.”
In a tongue-in-cheek plea, Wyoming urged viewers not to replicate the gesture by posting tagged photos online, joking it might make Netanyahu “feel bad,” which they “don’t want.”
He clarified that the show isn’t campaigning against genocide despite their anger and insisted the gesture wasn’t the one displayed on screen. The segment ended with Wyoming and his team defiantly raising their middle fingers, undercutting their earlier disavowal, in line with the show’s satirical tone.
El Intermedio, a Spanish news satire program airing since 2006, is known for its sharp political commentary and humor. The provocative segment underscores the strained Israel-Spain relationship, amplified by the show’s platform and its critical portrayal of Israeli leadership, contributing to a broader narrative of hostility in Spanish media.