As expected, Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine. To emphasize the international character of this decision, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that Madrid had joined “more than 140 countries in the world that recognize Palestine” in an institutional statement issued in Spanish and English. “This is a historic decision with one goal: to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.”
Recognition of Palestine
Madrid’s move coincides with those of Ireland and Norway. Sanchez explained that the recognition came in line with the provisions of the 1993 Oslo accords, under which Palestine and Israel appeared to have agreed to peaceful coexistence. Sanchez reminded that according to these agreements, the Palestinian state will consist of the West Bank and Gaza, “connected by a corridor with East Jerusalem as the capital and the Palestinian Authority as the national authority.” The Spanish prime minister added that Madrid “will not recognize changes to the 1967 border lines (as envisaged in Oslo) that are not agreed upon between the parties,” referring to Israeli settlers’ settlements in the West Bank. “This is not a declaration against anyone, it is not a declaration against Israel, a friendly people with whom we want to have the best possible relations,” the institutional declaration also said, adding that “Spain will continue to support Palestine.”
Reactions
Sanchez’s aim is to force Israel to stop the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and encourage the Palestinian Authority and the Tel Aviv government to begin negotiations for a lasting peace. However, the Spanish leader’s move is aimed above all at the European Union and aims to intensify the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Monday, after the massacre of civilians in a raid by Tel Aviv armed forces against civilians in a tent city in the north of Gaza, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell announced that he wanted to review the free trade agreements with Israel. A form of sanctions aimed at stopping Netanyahu’s plans to attack Rafah.
The Israeli government reacted to Madrid’s initiative with words of condemnation and more. Secretary of State Israel Katz wrote in X that Sanchez was “complicit in inciting the Holocaust and war crimes.” Katz had recently posted a video showing images of the Hamas militia during the attack on Israel on October 7, with the typical Spanish music of flamenco in the background and the words “Hamas: thank you Spain.”
What is changing in Gaza?
It seems unlikely that Spain’s recognition of Palestine will contribute to the resolution of the conflict in the short term. Sweden failed to do so, becoming the first country to recognize the Palestinian state after joining the EU in 2014. According to critics, the decision of Spain, Ireland and Norway could further harden Israel’s position. For others, this could break the political impasse within the EU, where some states are reluctant to condemn the Tel Aviv government’s actions in the Strip.
The United States and Europe today find themselves isolated internationally. This was seen at the UN on 27 October, a few weeks after the conflict began; While an overwhelming majority of 120 countries expressed their opinion in favor of an immediate ceasefire and respect for international humanitarian law, the majority of Western states were against it. or abstained.
Who knows Palestine?
Together with Spain, Ireland and Norway, the number of countries in the world that recognize Palestine has increased to 146. This month, 143 of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly voted in favor of Palestine’s membership in the UN; This is something only states can do. Most of the Middle East, Africa and Asia recognize the state of Palestine.
But many Western European countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Italy, do not. Giorgia Meloni’s government has said it is in favor of recognizing the State of Palestine, but not as a unilateral action but within the broader path of the peace process in the Middle East. Tel Aviv has so far only recognized the Palestinian National Authority through the 1993 Oslo accords; The PLO (the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat at the time) gave up the armed struggle and recognized the right of the State of Israel to exist. .
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
