Spanish premier urges Western countries to recognize Palestinian state ‘once and for all’

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – Spain’s prime minister on Wednesday urged Western states to recognize the state of Palestine “once and for all.”

“And until that day comes, we must state clearly and with passion that the Palestinian population cannot pay for the terrorist acts of Hamas,” Pedro Sanchez told diplomats at the Eighth Ambassadors Conference in Madrid.

The Spanish leader added that he is aware of the enormous suffering in Gaza, which he said has only gotten worse over the last three months.

“The number of civilian victims is absolutely intolerable,” he added.

He said the first goal of the international community should be facilitating an immediate and permanent cease-fire.

After violence ends, he said the nations should organize a peace conference and offer a “serious, fair and credible solution based on two states.

“As you’ve heard before, it’s less about two states than it is about one, because Israel is already an internationally recognized state, but Palestine isn’t for many Western nations,” he told the assembled diplomats.

He shared his vision for both states living together in “peace and safety.”

When Sanchez formed the current government in November, he vowed that Spain would work to pressure the EU to recognize Palestine.

However, should the EU or other nations refuse to go along, he said Spain would unilaterally recognize the state of Palestine during this current legislative term.

These declarations have caused a diplomatic rift between Spain and Israel, with Israel recalling its ambassador to Spain for several weeks.

However, Ambassador Rodica Radian-Gordon reportedly returned to Madrid this week.

Her return comes days after Israeli's new Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that Radian-Gordon would return to her post because Israel noticed “a positive change” in Madrid’s position on Palestine and Israel.