United Nations (AP) – Spain’s The diplomat was rejected Statement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu There will never be a Palestinian state that says that Israelis would one day live in peace with the Palestinians.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alvarez said in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday that the “real wave” of the report The country recognizes the Palestinian province Since visiting in May 2024, Spain, Ireland and Norway have been an overwhelming number supporting two states’ solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for nearly 80 years.
“The day everyone recognizes Palestine, we will have to move forward,” he said at the United Nations. “Just as I found it on the Palestinian side with Palestinian authority, I am sure one day I will find people worthy of peace on the Israeli side.”
Spain was on the front line to put pressure on Israel End the war in Gaza It criticized the “infinite murders” that was caused by a surprising invasion of Southern Israel in Hamas on October 7, 2023, committing “atrocities” and “infinite murders” in the territory.
Alvarez spoke before the UN General Assembly at the annual meeting of world leaders. At the conference, Palestinians are hoping that the new countries will formally recognize Palestinian states recently and have been added to the list of more than 145 countries they already have. France, Luxembourg, Belgium and others did so at conferences, even after Netanyahu repeated his pledge that a Palestinian state would never exist. The weekend awareness came from the UK, Canada and Australia.
The Spanish minister calls Hamas a “terrorist organization” and does not want a solution for the two provinces. “So let’s put the extremists aside and look for people who want peaceful and safe coexistence.”
Spain is a voice critic of Israel’s actions
Alvarez said Spain has taken away one of the most powerful positions against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Israel has peace, stability, security and rights to the state, and so does Palestinians. “I don’t know why they should be accused of being refugee people.”
Alvarez said that as a democratic country that believes in human rights, it is impossible to have a “normal relationship with Israel” while “this endless war continues.”
In recent weeks, Spain has reinforced its opposition to Israeli actions in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the war “genocide.” Earlier this month, he announced plans to formalize the arms embargo and pass Israeli-bound fuel supplies through Spanish ports. Netanyahu accused Sanchez of “a blatant threat of genocide.”
The following week, Pro-Palestinian protesters The government has said it has disrupted the final match of the international cycling competition in Madrid due to the presence of teams affiliated with Israel.
In the aftermath of the incident, Sanchez called for banning Israel From all international sporting events while the war continues. The two countries banned ministers and followed by diplomatic no-TAT, where Israeli leaders accused the Spanish government of being “anti-Semitism.”
In pushing Israel to end the war in Gaza, Alvarez said Spain is defending the principles that underpin the creation of the United Nations after World War II: peace, justice, human rights and human dignity.
Balance of demands from Trump
The minister defended another controversial issue. Spain refused to spend 5% of domestic gross domestic product, as demanded by US President Donald Trump. At the NATO meeting in June, the Sanchez government was the only NATO member who said it would not increase its spending to that level.
“We intend to meet the goals and commitments necessary for Euro-Atlantic security within NATO,” Alvarez said. “We don’t need 5% to meet them, we can do that at 2.1%. We’ve already reached the 2% target.”
“We are a very dedicated ally to transatlantic security,” he said, citing Spanish military deployments along the eastern side of Europe, including a “historical peak” of 3,000 soldiers in its contribution to European security.
Alvarez said the United States is a “historic and natural ally” of Spain and Europeans. “Let’s keep doing the same, but of course, you need two for your tango,” he said. The clearest thing is that whether Europe is increasing internal trade or security, it must put Europe into its own hands and more.
Looking at the widespread challenges from the harshness of war to poverty, climate change and advances in artificial intelligence, without guardrails, the only answer to addressing them is the multilateral approach that underpins the UN mission.
“Finally,” he said. “Cooperation is always very… stronger than conflict.”
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Naishadam reported from Madrid.
