Faced with the carnage in Gaza, Spain decided to lead a vast offensive in favor of the recognition of the State of Palestine. Thursday April 4, on the Al-Jazeera channel, Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, assured that he would act “as soon as possible, when the conditions are appropriate and in such a way that this decision has the most positive impact possible”.
In front of the European press, its Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, assured the day before that he wished to recognize Palestine “before 1er July “. “Given the level of violence in Gaza and the West Bank, we must do something to break the cycle of violence”we assure those around us.
For Mr. Albares, “this Palestinian state must provide security guarantees to the Israeli state”. Mr. Sanchez, for his part, recalls that this recognition must be accompanied by “the recognition of Israel by its neighbors” Arabs, because “mutual recognition is the key to reaching a lasting solution to this conflict”.
No discussions initiated in Brussels
Some 139 countries already recognize the Palestinian state, out of the 193 countries represented within the United Nations. In Europe, ten of the twenty-seven member states of the European Union recognize it today. Most of them adopted it in 1988, when these countries were still in the Soviet sphere. Since then, only EU member Sweden has officially recognized the Palestinian state in 2014.
In addition to Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta announced, on March 22, in a letter, their desire to recognize Palestine. For the four countries, “The only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is to implement a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side in peace and security.” However, only Madrid has set a deadline, with Dublin refusing to do so for the moment, assures an Irish diplomat.
In Brussels, no discussion has started on the subject between the Twenty-Seven. “ Positions remain far apart on the issue », assures a European diplomat, even if the option remains studied in capitals. Outside the EU, the British Foreign Minister, David Cameron, spoke about a reflection on the subject, “including within the framework of a UN resolution”. On April 2, Palestine, considered an observer within the UN since 2012, officially requested to be considered a full member state.
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