Spain to Recognize Palestinian Statehood, Calls on Western Allies to Follow Suit
Spain has been foremost among European countries which have repeatedly condemned Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza and the resultant soaring Palestinian death toll. The EU country is also among those demanding answers for the drone strikes that killed a group of World Central Kitchen aid workers this week. “I expect and demand that the Israeli government clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of this brutal attack that has taken the lives of seven aid workers who were doing nothing but helping,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a fresh statement.
But Prime Minister Sanchez is also driving global headlines for his Tuesday statements declaring the Spanish government is moving forward with recognizing Palestinian statehood. The Financial Times reported that the country is ready to bestow formal recognition as early as July.
Sanchez said, “We have to seriously consider doing it in the first half of this year.” The declaration he made while on a Middle East tour is sure to rile Israeli leadership, which has condemned efforts to force recognition of a Palestinian state at a moment the Israeli military is in a fight with Hamas terrorists.
