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MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

‘Israel is Spain’s friend’, Sánchez says after Gaza comments

Israel is "a friend of Spain", Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Friday, a day after Israel recalled its envoy to Madrid over "outrageous remarks" he made regarding the country's military campaign in Gaza.

Published: 1 December 2023 16:42 CET
'Israel is Spain's friend', Sánchez says after Gaza comments
Sánchez said he had "serious doubts" that Israel is complying with international humanitarian law. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

The Socialist premier, one of the most critical voices within the European Union regarding Israel, at the same time stood by his position regarding Israel’s campaign, which has sparked tension between Madrid and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in recent days.

In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Sánchez said he had “reiterated that Israel is a partner and friend of Spain” in a telephone conversation with Israeli former defence minister and current war cabinet member, Benny Gantz.

“Once again, I condemned the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7,” he said, before adding “Israel has the right to defend itself”.

“But I reaffirmed that Spain considers the death of civilians in Gaza unbearable and that Israel must respect international humanitarian law,” Sánchez added.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday he was recalling the country’s envoy to Spain for consultations in Jerusalem “because of the outrageous remarks by the Spanish prime minister, who again repeated baseless claims.”

Speaking to Spanish public television on Thursday, Sánchez said he had “serious doubts” that Israel is complying with international humanitarian law in its military campaign in Gaza given the “images we are seeing and the growing number of people dying, especially boys and girls”.

Israel has also recalled its ambassadors from Turkey and South Africa following remarks by those countries’ leaders over the war in Gaza.

Hamas broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing around 240 Israeli and foreign hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has vowed to “crush” Hamas in response and unleashed a withering military campaign that Gaza’s Hamas government says has killed more than 15,000 people in the coastal territory.

READ ALSO: Spain’s PM calls on EU to recognise Palestinian state

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MIDDLE EAST CRISIS

Spain’s PM to set date for recognition of Palestinian state on Wednesday

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Friday he will on Wednesday announce the date on which Madrid will recognise a Palestinian state along with other nations.

Published: 17 May 2024 16:24 CEST
Spain's PM to set date for recognition of Palestinian state on Wednesday

“We are in the process of coordinating with other countries,” he said during an interview with private Spanish television station La Sexta when asked if this step would be taken on Tuesday as announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Sanchez said in March that Spain and Ireland, along with Slovenia and Malta had agreed to take the first steps towards recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, seeing a two-state solution as essential for lasting peace.

Borrell told Spanish public radio last week that Spain, Ireland and Slovenia planned to symbolically recognise a Palestinian state on May 21, saying he had been given this date by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said Tuesday that Dublin was certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of the month but the “specific date is still fluid”.

So far, 137 of the 193 UN member states have recognised a Palestinian state, according to figures provided by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

Despite the growing number of EU countries in favour of such a move, neither France nor Germany support the idea. Western powers have long argued such recognition should only happen as part of a negotiated peace with Israel.

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