Pedro Sánchez is intensifying his contacts to prepare the final decision on the recognition of Palestine, which will not be made this Tuesday at the Council of Ministers but seems imminent, according to various government officials, although La Moncloa is not specifying the date. After his recent trip to the region, where he visited Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and a European tour that took him to Poland, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, and Belgium, Sanchez held a series of phone conversations on Monday with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. These high-level contacts confirm the imminent decision to recognize Palestine, something that Sanchez does not need to vote on in Congress because it is the exclusive prerogative of the Council of Ministers.
However, the president has committed to go to Congress to explain the decision and try to garner as much support as possible. The PP has already said that they support the recognition of Palestine, something they approved in 2014 in Congress in a proposition agreed upon with the Socialists, but they question the timing of Sanchez’s decision, which they see as rushed. According to La Moncloa, these phone conversations on Monday “continue the round of contacts that the President of the Government made with the main actors in the region, as well as with other European countries, to promote a diplomatic solution that offers a horizon of peace, security, and prosperity to the region through the recognition of Palestine as a State”.
Sanchez and his team were closely following the debate at the UN in New York, where they also sought allies to support the recognition of Palestine as a full member. The Spanish president got close to the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, who has a similar position on this issue and also has the advantage that his country presides over the UN Security Council this month. Abela, in coordination with Sanchez and other European leaders supporting this outcome, took advantage of this privilege to bring the entry of Palestine into the UN as a full member to a vote last week. As expected, the US vetoed the decision, but there was significant support for this move – 12 votes in favor and two abstentions – which, in the Spanish view, supports Sanchez’s decision to recognize Palestine shortly.
Sánchez always argues that the ideal scenario would be for Western countries like Spain to recognize Palestine in exchange for Arab countries doing the same with Israel, something that only a few, including Jordan and Egypt, have done. But there seems to have been no progress in that direction in recent weeks, especially while indiscriminate bombing continues in Gaza. Nevertheless, La Moncloa is determined to take the step of recognizing Palestine imminently, to the extent that it could be an important element in the European campaign. According to La Moncloa’s statement, in the conversations, “the President has reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to the realization of the two-state solution and has also thanked these countries for their efforts to mediate in the conflict and provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In this regard, the President has emphasized the need to work together to encourage the parties towards a political process that brings peace, security, and prosperity to the region”.
The decision to recognize Palestine unilaterally by Spain has already been taken and will be implemented at the appropriate time. Sánchez and his team have been actively seeking support for this decision, both regionally and internationally, to push for a diplomatic solution and promote peace and stability in the region. The ongoing conflict and violence in Gaza have only reinforced the urgency of finding a peaceful resolution. Sánchez’s conversations with key regional leaders and European allies indicate a concerted effort to bring all parties to the negotiating table and strive towards a peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine. The forthcoming decision on the recognition of Palestine is seen as a significant step towards this goal and reflects Spain’s commitment to supporting a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
