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The Spanish prime minister also expressed his support for the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, saying, “We are proud that Borrell has raised the voice and banner of human rights, in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.” The latter had responded a day earlier, during a speech at the University of Valladolid in Spain, to Netanyahu, who reiterated his rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying, “The two-state solution must be imposed from the outside, for peace in the region.”
“The only solution is to have two states (Palestinian and Israeli) sharing the lands they fought for 100 years,” Borrell was quoted as saying by the Spanish newspaper El Diario, adding, “Everyone says the solution is to have two states, except for the Israeli government.”
At the end of last March, Sanchez expanded his influence within the European Union on this issue, issuing a joint declaration with his Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts affirming their readiness “to recognize Palestine when this would ‘make a positive contribution’ to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
He met with a number of European leaders, including Norway and Portugal, to discuss once again the “need to move forward towards recognizing Palestine.” Four days later, during a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, Sanchez did not miss the opportunity to criticize Israel for killing five Western aid workers. “I expect and demand that the Israeli government clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of this brutal attack that claimed the lives of seven aid workers who were doing nothing but helping,” he said.
geopolitical interest
Addressing the Spanish parliament on April 10, Sanchez gave an explanation for his enthusiasm for recognizing the state of Palestine. He said that this recognition is a “geopolitical interest for Europe,” and reiterated that Madrid is “ready” to take this step.
Sanchez also said that “the international community cannot help the Palestinian state unless it recognizes its existence.” This statement was a prelude to a declaration of intent revealed the following day by the Sanchez government, which announced its agreement with its Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts to take the first steps towards recognizing the Palestinian state.
