As a part of Spain´s six month presidency of the European Union, which additionally coincided together with his first worldwide journey after being sworn in as Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez visited Israel, the Palestine Territories and Egypt final week.
The journey which underlines Spain´s curiosity within the area following the conflict triggered by the terrorist assaults perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on 7 October nonetheless has not gone down properly with many.
Talking at a joint press convention with the Belgian Prime Minister, on the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Friday, Sánchez mentioned the time had come for the worldwide group and the European Union to as soon as and for all acknowledge a Palestinian state. He mentioned it will be higher if the EU did it collectively, “but when this isn’t the case … Spain will take their very own choices.”
Spain presently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU and can hand the baton to Belgium in January.
Earlier he held cordial conferences with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the place the Spanish Prime Minister was capable of convey his condolences and condemnation of the terrorist assaults.
In a press launch issued by his workplace, the Spanish authorities demanded the speedy and unconditional launch of all hostages, and underlined Israel’s proper to defend itself in accordance with worldwide regulation and worldwide humanitarian regulation.
Pedro Sánchez harassed each factors throughout the two conferences and conveyed to the Israeli president and prime minister his concern in regards to the horrible scenario in Gaza. “The response should not contain the demise of harmless folks in Gaza, together with 1000’s of youngsters,” mentioned the president, who additionally defended the two-state resolution as “the easiest way to defeat terrorism and assure Israel’s safety”.
Nonetheless, Israel’s Overseas Minister Eli Cohen responded that Sanchez had made “false claims” that “give terrorism a lift” and mentioned he had summoned the ambassadors of Spain to elucidate the feedback.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu additionally weighed in, saying the 2 European leaders had did not highlight what he referred to as crimes towards humanity dedicated by Palestinian militants of Hamas.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly condemns the remarks made by the Belgian and Spanish prime ministers for not inserting the total duty of the crimes towards humanity dedicated by Hamas, who massacred our residents and who use the Palestinians as human shields,” an announcement by Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned.
Shortly after Netanyahu’s feedback, Spanish Overseas Minister Jose Manuel Albares mentioned in a video assertion that “the accusations of the Israeli authorities are false and unacceptable. We categorically reject them”.
He additionally mentioned on state tv that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador in Madrid to elucidate the Israeli authorities’s accusations.
Various Spanish nationals had been killed throughout the seventh October assaults and several other nonetheless lacking imagine to be held hostage by the Hamas terrorists.
