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Date Published: 02/04/2024

Spain PM urges international community to recognise Palestinian State before summer

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The head of the Spanish government is on a tour of the Middle East this week to advocate a peace conference

Spain PM urges international community to recognise Palestinian State before summer

President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has embarked on his second journey to the Middle East since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, advocating for urgent recognition of the Palestinian state by the international community. This trip follows a recent bombing in Damascus, attributed to Israel, further escalating tensions in the region.

Sánchez’s previous visit to Israel, Palestine and Egypt last November laid the groundwork for his current mission, which includes stops in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The message he carries remains consistent: a call for the international community to recognise Palestine, a crucial step towards achieving a political solution and fostering coexistence between the two states.

Such a hardline stance on recognition of a Palestinian state and questioning the humanitarian efforts of Israel to curb civilian casualties has not gone down well with the Israelis in the past, and they likely do not appreciate his input in the peace process.

Nonetheless, on his current trip Sánchez is expressing optimism regarding potential “multilateral” actions in the coming weeks, particularly after the UN Security Council’s recent resolution urging a ceasefire during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. He has emphasised the importance of addressing Palestinian recognition within “the current semester”, highlighting his government’s willingness to take this step provided certain conditions are met.

One such condition is ensuring Spain is not isolated in its stance, seeking solidarity from European partners such as Ireland, Malta and Slovenia, who have signalled their support, providing that it “makes a positive contribution and the circumstances are right”. Sánchez is also engaging with countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which do not recognise Israel, in an effort to garner broader backing for the recognition of Palestine.

He explained that the main reason for the official trip to the region is “to see what the main Arab countries think about the possible ways out” of the conflict.

“We advocate a peace conference, the recognition of the Palestinian state and an agreement for the release of hostages.”

In addition to diplomatic meetings, Sánchez’s agenda includes visits to Palestinian refugee camps, underscoring Spain’s commitment to addressing humanitarian concerns in the region. He aims to engage with UNRWA, the United Nations agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees, amidst reports of Israeli efforts to dismantle the organisation.

During bilateral discussions with regional leaders, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sánchez aims to strike a note of commitment to a pacifist foreign policy, distancing Spain from any warmongering rhetoric in favour of diplomacy and dialogue.

In this sense, he is trying to position himself as a global leader on the issue, taking a firm, decisive and proactive stance instead of sitting on the fence. Time will tell if such a bold foreign policy strategy pays off for him with voters in Spain, where he faces many more domestic problems (not least of which is the messy treason law pardoning Catalan separatists), and, more crucially, whether he can succeed in helping to speed up the arrival of peace in Gaza.

Image: La Moncloa

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