Madrid: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated during a visit to Jordan that Spain’s left-wing government is committed to having the parliament recognize Palestinian statehood by July of this year, Spanish media reported on Tuesday.
According to the media, Sanchez said to a group of Spanish journalists who were traveling with him across three Middle Eastern nations, “We have to think seriously about doing it this semester.”
On March 9, Sanchez declared he will put out a proposal for the parliament to vote in favor of this recognition by the middle of the current legislative session, or by mid-2027.
Then, on March 22, on the fringes of a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, Spain and three other countries—Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia—released a joint statement stating that they were “ready to recognise Palestine” as soon as the prerequisites for the establishment of a state were satisfied.
El Pais, a popular daily newspaper in Spain, reported that Madrid may recognize Palestinian statehood “in the weeks that follow” or during the campaign for the June 9 European Parliament elections in Spain.
According to the report, Sanchez intends to “try to convince Arab countries that have not yet recognized Israel to do so.” After visiting Jordan, he will travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia do not recognize Israel.
Sanchez has stated on numerous occasions that the recognition of two states—Israel and Palestine—is the only way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Out of the 193 UN members, 139 have acknowledged Palestinian statehood since 1988.
Palestinian statehood has long been rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose governing coalition consists of far right and ultra-Orthodox groups.
As per the reports, Sanchez expressed his expectation that the conflict will intensify prior to the European Parliament elections in early June and emphasized the current discussions at the UN.
According to EFE, he expressed his belief that a “critical mass” will soon be reached inside the European Union to encourage multiple member states to take the same stance.
