Spain backs Palestine urges Israel to seek peace

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Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has spoken out strongly against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that there will never be a Palestinian state. Albares believes that one day Israelis will also want to live peacefully alongside Palestinians.

In an interview ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, Albares said that a growing number of countries have recognized Palestine as a state since Spain, Ireland, and Norway did so in May 2024. More than 145 nations now support the idea of a two-state solution to the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has lasted nearly 80 years.

Albares said, “The day that everyone has recognized the state of Palestine, we will have to move forward. I am sure we will find people on the Israeli side who want peace, just as we have found leaders on the Palestinian side in the Palestinian Authority.”

Spain has been actively pressuring Israel to end the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Albares described Israel’s attacks as “atrocities” and “endless killing,” highlighting Spain’s concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

At the UN meeting, several countries, including France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, formally recognized Palestine as a state. This came despite Netanyahu reaffirming that Israel will never allow a Palestinian state. Albares emphasized that the focus should be on people who want peaceful coexistence rather than extremists like Hamas, which he called a terrorist organization unwilling to accept a two-state solution.

Spain’s Strong Position Against Israeli Actions

Albares stated that Spain has taken one of the strongest positions against Israel’s actions in Gaza because the country believes that war and violence should not be the normal way for nations to interact. He said, “Israel has the right to peace, security, and stability, and so do the Palestinians. It is not fair for them to remain refugees forever.”

He added that as a democratic nation committed to human rights, Spain cannot have normal relations with Israel while the conflict continues. In recent weeks, Spain’s opposition to Israel’s actions has increased. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the Gaza war a “genocide” and announced plans for an arms embargo and a ban on fuel shipments to Israel passing through Spanish ports. Netanyahu criticized this move as a “blatant genocidal threat.”

Following this, pro-Palestinian protests supported by the Spanish government disrupted an international cycling competition in Madrid because of the participation of an Israeli-affiliated team. Sánchez also called for Israel to be banned from international sports events while the war continues. Both countries responded with diplomatic actions, including bans on ministers, and Israeli officials accused Spain of antisemitism.

Albares emphasized that Spain’s efforts to pressure Israel aim to defend the core principles behind the United Nations, such as peace, human rights, justice, and dignity.

Spain’s Stance on NATO Defense Spending

Apart from the Middle East conflict, Albares defended Spain’s refusal to increase its defense spending to 5% of GDP, as demanded by former U.S. President Donald Trump. At a NATO conference in June, Spain was the only member to reject this target. Albares explained, “We will meet NATO security commitments with 2.1% of our GDP. We have already achieved the 2% target and are contributing significantly to European security with military deployments, including a peak of 3,000 soldiers along Europe’s eastern flank.”

He added that Spain is a committed NATO ally and stressed the importance of Europe taking responsibility for its own trade and security while maintaining strong ties with the U.S., its “historic, natural ally.” Albares concluded that global challenges, such as wars, poverty, climate change, and technology, require cooperation among nations rather than confrontation.

Spain, Palestine, Israel, Gaza war, two-state solution, peace