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“We as Socialist International have always fought for freedom, equality, justice, and democracy. Yet, as many of you know, these are values that we cannot take for granted,” Sanchez said.

“It is also a theory of a globe-spanning universal society, the ultimate goal of which is to bring about a socialist international order.”

The Lebanese-born politician had travelled there to participate in the annual Socialist International conference in Tel Aviv and Ramallah - but he was denied entry at Ben Gurion Airport.

Earlier this year, his government was expelled from the Socialist International, a worldwide coalition of socialist political parties, for violations of human rights.

Long gone are the days when Israel was new and appealed to idealists around the world, when Golda Meir was a celebrated deputy chairwoman of the Socialist International and Pete Seeger and the Weavers were singing the Israeli folk tune “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena” on the “Hit Parade.”