Spain promotes an international coalition to break Gaza’s block with sanctions to Israel | Spain

Spain promotes an international coalition to pressure Israel with sanctions that allow breaking the blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza and move towards a solution to the Conflict of the Middle East based on the formula of the two states, one Israeli and another Palestinian. Among these sanctions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has put on the table the « immediate suspension » of the association agreement between the EU and Israel, an embargo on the sale of weapons to the Hebrero State and the review of the National and European List of Individual Sanctions to include those who are impossible to impossible the viability of the Palestinian State, without ruling out the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanya.

The head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, has worked this Sunday as host of the third MEETING OF THE DENTRY GRUPO MADRID+in which more than double countries have participated than in the two previous appointments, the last last September. In the Palacio de Viana, noble headquarters of the External Department, delegations from 20 countries have gathered: two prime ministers (Palestine and Qatar), two deprived ministers (Jordan and Slovenia), eight ministers (Spain, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Norway, Portugal, Egypt, Malta and Iceland) and seven vice ministers, as well as representatives of the EU. and the Islamic conference. The French Outdoor Holder, Jean-Noël Barrot, has intervened by videoconference.

The incorporation to this multilateral group of countries that do not recognize the Palestinian State (such as Germany, United Kingdom, Italy or France) evidences to what extent the contempt for international law of which the Israeli army in Gaza is gala Forum One of the objectives of the meeting was to prepare the International Conference for the solution of the two states in the Middle East that, co -presided by France and Saudi Arabia, will be held in New York between June 17 and 20, in which more than a hundred countries is expected to participate. At the end of the meeting, no statement was approved, which shows the disparity of viewers’ views.

Before the meeting, Albares has put on the table the need to adopt « concrete measures » with the objective of « stopping this unfair, cruel, inhuman war of Israel in Gaza, breaking the blockade of humanitarian aid and definitively advanced towards the solution of the two states. »

Although he has avoided qualifying the extermination of the Gazati population as genocide, claiming that « there are no words to describe what is happening » in the strip, where the number of deaths by the Israeli bombings already rounds the 54,000, he added that « Gaza is an open wound in humanity » and that « silence at the moment is complicit. » « The urgent, » he stressed, is to stop the war immediately « and that between the aid massively and without impediments. » « Of course, » he said, this help cannot be « controlled by Israel », as Netanyahu intends, « but the United Nations must be those that have control » of their cast. « Gazati citizens cannot depend on Israel’s goodwill at all times to decide how much help, » he enters the strip, he has settled. The medium -term objective, he added, is « to give a new impulse to the solution of the two states », and « that there is a realistic and viable Palestinian state. »

After underlineing that nothing that the countries gathered in Madrid defend against Israel and demand the unconditional liberation of the hostages that follow in the hands of Hamas, has put concrete actions on the table. First, the « immediate suspension of the association agreement between the EU and Israel ”, That Spain has already claimed and the European Commission has committed to review, if the war does not stop immediately. In addition, he has proposed a international embargo on the sale of weapons to Israel, Because it is what least needs the next east; and, finally, a review of the list of individual sanctions by the EU and member countries.

Spain and the EU are in force of a list of individual sanctions that affects 13 Israeli settlers characterized by their violence against the Palestinian population in the West Bank, to whom the visa refuses and freezes assets in European territory. Albares now advocate expanding « all of those who do not believe in the solution of the two states and make it impossible with their actions. » Asked if that would mean individually to Netanyahu, the minister has replied: « We do not rule out any » sanction.

Although he has acknowledged that each State is sovereign to recognize or not the Palestinian State, as Spain did a year ago, but it has proposed that next month conference in New York supposes “a great recognition movement” of Palestine, so that the next international summit can already attend as a sovereign State of the UN. Has also stressed that The resolution proposal that Spain and Palestine will present to the UN General Assembly, In order for the International Court of Justice to warn Israel to immediately raise the blockade on Gaza, it is « open to all countries » to subscribe it.

For his part, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohamed Mustafa, has been convinced that « if Europe and the United States adopt serious sanctions, Israel will listen. » « Many countries in the world see what is happening and disapprove of it, but disapprove is not doing something, » he warned in statements to the press, so he has asked to exercise « more pressure on Israel to put an end to war, open the borders, end the occupation and advance towards peace. » « We have officially declared Gaza as a hungry area. The international community must now act with the urgency and seriousness required by a statement of that caliber, » said the Palestinian leader to those attending the Madrid meeting.

Albares has taken advantage of the meeting to maintain bilateral interviews with its counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Slovenia and Norway. The latter, Especen Bath Eide, explained that his country already applies individual sanctions and maintains an embargo on the sale of weapons to Israel and added that, although Norway does not belong to the community club, it will coordinate with the EU when taking pressure measures, for which it has already spoken with the high representative for the foreign policy of the Union, Kaja Kalas.