Spain’s prime minister defends government’s stance on Palestine

(MENAFN) Spain’s prime minister on Monday reaffirmed his government’s approach to Palestine, emphasizing that the country’s early recognition of Palestinian statehood has been increasingly validated by the international community. During an annual review of his administration’s work, Pedro Sanchez highlighted that Spain was among the first nations to recognize Palestine after Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023. Since then, several countries, including France and Canada, have reportedly taken similar steps.

“Time proved us right,” Sanchez said, countering domestic criticism and rejecting accusations that Spain had sided with terrorist groups. He added, “The world aligned on our side, demonstrating the emptiness and malice of these criticisms, which showed a lack of empathy for people suffering, as was the case with the Palestinians.”

Sanchez also pointed to a series of nine measures Spain implemented against Israel this year, including a permanent arms embargo and a pledge to increase aid to Palestine. He framed his approach as consistent with Spain’s foreign policy principles of coherence, multilateralism, and a commitment to peace and solidarity.

The prime minister stressed that Spain will continue to condemn antisemitism and attacks on Jewish communities worldwide, referencing the deadly attack in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.

Sanchez acknowledged the timing of his statements comes amid challenging domestic and international circumstances. His party faces the fallout of high-level corruption scandals and governs as a minority coalition, having recently lost the support of a Catalan separatist party.

Despite calls from the opposition for early elections, Sanchez asserted that his government remains “full of conviction and energy” and will “give our best in the second half of our term,” which runs until August 2027.

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