Despite Germany, UK and France have supported Israel since October war, many other European countries have stood with Palestine, showing their fury against Israel both in word and action.
This Friday, four European countries, including Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain announced in a joint statement that they are ready to recognize the state of Palestine as the “only way to achieve peace and security” in the war-ridden region.
In the statement, which was concluded and issued following an EU summit in Brussels the same day, the four EU leaders asserted that they discussed together their readiness “to recognize Palestine” and that they would do so when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right,” though they did not specify what “circumstances” the move would require.
Asked by reporters what conditions had to be met, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: “We have to decide when to do it, when we contribute to a solution and therefore, it is a matter of political assessment. It is time for this recognition to help the peace process, the end of violence and therefore, the establishment of a lasting peace, with security and mutual recognition by the Arab community towards the Israeli state and by the rest of the West towards the Palestinian state”.
Sánchez also noted that “let us never forget there are more than 130 countries in the world that have already recognized the Palestinian state and therefore, we are talking about the West fundamentally and singularly about the European Union, about many countries in the European Union.” Other European countries that have recently recognized Palestine’s right of statehood include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia. In total, however, only ten out of the 27 EU member states currently recognize Palestine as a state.
During the Brussels meeting that started Thursday, EU leaders also made a breakthrough and called for an “immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza and urged Israel to end its ground offensive in the southernmost city of Rafah.
Spain, the vanguard of pro-Palestinian policies in Europe!
Following the Gaza war that started on 7 October, Germany, UK and France have militarily, financially, and politically supported Israel. Many other EU members, however, have rebuked Israel’s violence in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Among them, Spain stands out as the country has fully supported Palestine both in word and action since the start of the Gaza war. In addition to its latest move to recognize Palestine as a state, Spain has also joined the anti-war protests against Israel that are still ongoing in universities across the world.
The Confederation of Spanish Universities (CRUE), representing dozens of higher learning institutions in Spain, announced on this Thursday that it “will sever ties with certain Israeli universities and research centers” in support for Palestine.
“We will end relations with all Israeli institutions that have not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law,” the CRUE said in a statement Thursday.
Representing 76 public and private higher learning institutions in Spain, the CRUE also vowed to expand cooperation with Palestinian universities and research centers, including volunteer work and refugee aid programs. It has also vowed to take action against both antisemitism and Islamophobia on Spanish campuses.
A day before on Wednesday, the University of Barcelona had voted to sever all its ties with Israel, a similar move that the University of the Basque Country in Spain had made last month.
