Spain to Recognize Palestine Unilaterally as Barcelona City Suspends Relations with “Israel”
Spain is willing to move ahead by itself on the matter of recognizing Palestinian statehood, though it would prefer to act alongside other EU members, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday. | Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Belgium will take over in January. Sanchez and his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, spoke to reporters at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, just before the Qatar-brokered “humanitarian pause” and release of 13 “Israeli” settlers held as captives. ● Asked if he would support unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state, Sanchez declared that “the moment has come” for the EU and the rest of the “international community” to do so. 💬 “It would be important if many member states of the EU, we do it all together,” the Spanish PM said. “If this is not the case, of course, Spain will take their own decisions.” [...] Relatedly, Barcelona City Council has suspended the city's relations with the “Israeli” regime as long as the latter continues its ongoing deadly war against the Gaza Strip. [...] According to Barcelona’s approved statement, the main obstacles to long-lasting peace are "the occupation and colonization of Palestinian territories," and the "denial of rights" to the people.
■ Prime Ministers of Spain, Belgium Reject Israel’s Criticism Over Stance on Gaza (Sputnik News)