Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his cabinet would recognise a Palestinian state at a Tuesday morning meeting, The Guardian reports.
Ireland and Norway were also due to formally recognise a Palestinian state later in the day. While dozens of countries have recognised a Palestinian state, no major Western powers have done so.
Sánchez said:
At the meeting of the council of ministers that will be held today, the government will approve the official recognition of Palestine as a state. With this decision, Spain joins the more than 140 countries that already recognise Palestine. This is a historic decision that has a single goal: to contribute to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The recognition of the state of Palestine is not only a matter of historical justice with the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people; it is also an imperative need to achieve peace.
It is the only way to recognise the solution that we all recognise as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace – that of a Palestinian state that coexists alongside the state of Israel in peace and security. The state of Palestine must be viable with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as its capital and it must be unified under the legitimate government of the Palestinian national authority.
Sánchez noted that while Spain does not have the right to define the borders of another country, its position is in line with that of the UN Security Council and the EU:
Therefore we won’t recognise change in the 1967 lines other than those agreed to by the parties.
The prime minister also added that “the recognition of Palestine isn’t against anyone – least of all Israel, a friendly nation that Spain values and holds in high regard and with whom we aim to foster the strongest possible relationship.” He said the decision reflected Spain’s “absolute rejection” of Hamas, which opposes the two-state solution. Sánchez added:
From the outset, Spain has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks of 7 October. This clear condemnation is the resounding expression of our steadfast commitment in the fight against terrorism.
Two-state solution is a reality
Sánchez said that Spain will do everything possible to make the two-state solution a reality and reiterated his calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the admission of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages. He also added that Spain would push for an international peace conference on the two-state solution. Sánchez also added:
The decision that Spain is solemnly adopting today is based on the respect for international law and the defence of the rules-based international order. These are the principles that guide us always, no matter the context – both in Gaza/Palestine and in Ukraine. Spain will always defend the proposal and principles established in the UN charter.
The Socialist leader, who announced his country’s decision in parliament last week, has spent months travelling to European and Middle Eastern countries to rally support in favour of recognition and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Relations between the EU and Israel deteriorated on Monday, on the eve of the diplomatic recognition of EU members Ireland and Spain, with Madrid insisting the EU must take action against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Norway, which is not an EU member but often aligns its foreign policy with the bloc, handed diplomatic documents to the Palestinian government at the weekend ahead of formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
