Pedro Sánchez plans to recognize the Palestinian state before the end of the first half of this year, something the government can do with a decision by the Council of Ministers, without necessarily going through parliament.
Spain plans to recognize the Palestinian state by July, revealed Pedro Sánchez, who expects news on this subject in the coming months, within the scope of bodies such as the United Nations, which will lead several countries to do the same.
According to several Spanish media, the Spanish Prime Minister made these considerations in an “informal conversation” with journalists on board the plane on which he traveled, on Monday night, to Jordan, where today he begins a tour of three countries Middle East to address the situation in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Reappointed prime minister in November, Sánchez had already said on several occasions that he would move forward with the recognition of the state of Palestine in the current legislature.
Last week, Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland announced their readiness to recognize the state of Palestine and insisted that an “immediate ceasefire” is necessary. The four countries committed to recognizing the Palestinian state when “it translates into a positive contribution and the circumstances are right”.
In the Monday night conversation cited by the Spanish press, Sánchez stated that he plans to recognize the Palestinian state before the end of the first half of this year, something that the government (a left-wing coalition led by the socialists) can do with a Council decision of Ministers, without necessarily going through parliament.
According to the same news, the Spanish Prime Minister is convinced that between April and June there will be relevant news on the international scene, especially within the United Nations, related to the current conflict between Israel and the radical group Hamas, which controls the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.
Sánchez reiterated that the objective is for Spain’s recognition of the Palestinian state not to be an isolated act and for a group of countries to do the same and for this decision to help resolve the conflict. Pedro Sánchez is going to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week to address the situation in Gaza.
The prime minister told the journalists with whom he traveled that the objective of this trip is to find out what these three Arab countries think about resolving the conflict, what proposals they intend to present and lead and how Spain can help.
Sánchez stated that he will defend the need for a ceasefire that ends the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and a peace conference that facilitates the adoption of the so-called Two-State Solution (Israel and Palestine). He also intends to support the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and demand the release by Hamas of the Israeli hostages it holds.
Sánchez is one of the European leaders who has most insisted on the recognition of the Palestinian state and has most criticized Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip in recent months, following the October attack by Hamas and Tel Aviv’s military response.
Spanish government sources highlighted on Monday that Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are three “fundamental actors” in the region that are involved in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have “strategic bilateral relations” with the United States, another of the essential actors for the eventual resolution of this situation.
According to the same sources in Madrid, Spain’s objective is to contribute to the search for a solution and facilitate a bridge between Arab countries and those of the European Union.
