The head of the central government officially announced to Congress his intention to recognize Palestine as a state in the coming weeks. He said, “Spain is ready to recognize the Palestinian state.” Pedro Sanchez On the speaker's podium yesterday. He did so after asserting that Israel's response to the “Hamas terrorist attacks” on October 7 was “grossly disproportionate” and “nullified decades of international humanitarian law.”
The President announced that in the coming weeks he will conduct a series of phone calls and official visits to continue his recognition project, after he took the first step within the European Council last March. He then coordinated a secret meeting with Ireland, Slovenia and Malta to recognize Palestinian statehood, which resulted in a joint statement. Sanchez hopes to use the international diplomatic deadlock in favor of taking this step and joining other countries, such as Belgium, Portugal or Norway. The United Nations Security Council will soon consider Palestine's accession as a member state. The United States is expected to veto it in any case.
Sanchez criticized “leaders who are still prominent today, both in Spain and in Europe,” regarding the recognition of the State of Palestine, in a clear reference to what he considers to be a lack of definition of the Palestinian state. s And about the war in Gaza, which has so far left more than 33,000 dead and destroyed 70% of the infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip. The government's goal is to drag the People's Party into this debate and put itself in its place.
The socialists questioned the “absolute silence” of the popular people regarding this road map and wanted to exploit yesterday's plenary session in Congress to increase pressure on Alberto Nunez Viejo And to clarify his position. In general, in Moncloa they rule out meeting for the time being with the main opposition party to formally address this statehood issue. Palestine hits the prime minister's international agenda, and the Socialists want him to focus on the domestic policy agenda as well. This is what the opposition is resisting.
“Don't choose between the atrocities in our world. There in Gaza and Israel, in Ukraine and Venezuela. I'm thinking about all these things, what about you?” Alberto Nunez Viejo replied, referring to the divisions within the government regarding its foreign policy. The leader of the People's Party accused him of not Informing the opposition of changes in foreign policy. He pointed in particular to the handover of Western Sahara. Figo said he was concerned that Sanchez “could have changed his policy with Morocco because of what he had on his mobile phones.”
International support
Figo supported a unanimously passed 2014 congressional resolution urging recognition of the state of Palestine and a two-state solution. But he also put a rebuke on Sanchez's road map for moving away from the one-track path. The first, he charged, was that the cabinet now included “people sympathetic to the despicable attack launched by the terrorist organization Hamas.” Second, the priority now is a ceasefire, and that recognition of the State of Palestine “must be the result of a negotiation process” and enjoy broad international support “from the major powers.”
That is why he noted that for the two-state solution, “how and when is key.” For all this, he asked Sanchez to be “responsible and careful.” In the face of the waiting that Figo advocates, looking for other countries to take the step, the head of the executive branch demanded Spain's sovereignty in making decisions in international politics. Likewise, he challenged the opposition leader to say whether he considers Israel to be abiding by international law in Gaza or whether he supports the European Union reviewing the free association agreement with that country.
Sánchez also criticized Figo's “vague” answer and that his foreign policy “depends on what others do.” He wondered about the lack of self-rule, stressing that the one leading it is former President José María Aznar, referring to his statements in which he affirmed regarding Palestine that “recognizing what does not exist is ridiculous.” An opposition that he summed up on several occasions as “nothingness and dirt,” and entered into direct conflict.
Sanchez framed the war in the Middle East in a generalized context of conflicts, starting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the north to the Sahel countries, passing through Palestine or Syria. He insisted on the need to increase military spending and advocate a peaceful foreign policy.
The head of the executive branch informed Congress of the last meeting of the European Council, at its request, and of his last trip to Morocco, at the request of the Popular Party.
In the key to the internal confrontation, the Prime Minister highlighted the economic situation and the coalition’s agenda in front of those who “want to hide the good results under mud and noise.” In the opposition, he extended the generals' campaign rhetoric that is recovering in this new election cycle, accusing it of using “Trumpist tactics.”
“Freelance social media evangelist. Organizer. Certified student. Music maven.”
