By Manal Abdel Fattah
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stressed that Spain, as a sovereign state, “will make its own decisions” regarding the recognition of the Palestinian state if there is no consensus among European countries.
In an interview with the “Speaking Frankly” program published today by the Saudi newspaper Al-Arab News, Foreign Minister José Manuel Al-Barris confirmed that Spain, as a sovereign state, will make its own decisions regarding recognition of the Palestinian state in the absence of a European consensus.
He added, “We are in dialogue with European countries to see how “We can make progress. If in the end we do not reach a consensus, Spain as a sovereign state will make its own decisions.”
Albarez explained that peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through the establishment of “a single Palestinian state, which includes Gaza and the West Bank, with a unified Palestinian authority and connected by a corridor with access to the sea, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
The Spanish minister described this as a “realistic” and “just” solution, “for the Palestinian people and the best guarantee for Israel’s security and peace in the Middle East.”
In his role as coordinator of Spain’s commitment to the EU, Albarez acknowledged that the proposal is still in the “dialogue” stage, while the EU looks for a way forward as a unified entity.
He also noted “growing concern” in the Global South – the term used to refer to the world’s developing economies – about the European Union’s response to the Gaza crisis, compared to its alignment in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“That is why it is very important, and I always explain this to my European colleagues, that we adhere to the same position: to follow the UN Charter and its principles, whether it is about Ukraine, where we have a clear, very, very clear position on it,” Paris added.
He pointed out that “any country has the right to defend itself against any terrorist attack, including Israel, but this must be done with respect for international humanitarian law.”
It is noteworthy that last week, Al-Bars conducted a tour that included three Gulf countries to discuss with his Arab colleagues the various forms and solutions for peace in the Gaza Strip.
