SPAIN is willing to move ahead of the European Union on the issue of recognizing the statehood of Palestine, although Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he prefers to act alongside his fellow EU members.
Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
Sanchez spoke to the media during a recent visit to the Rafah border crossing on November 24, wherein he was asked if he would support the unilateral recognition of the Palestinian State.
To this, Sanchez replied that the moment has come for EU and the rest of the international community to do such a thing.
He also stressed the importance of EU member states recognizing Palestinian statehood altogether, but if not, then Spain will make its own decisions.
“It would be important if many member states of the EU, we do it all together. If this is not the case, of course, Spain will take their own decisions.”
Spain supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
As part of Spain’s peace efforts, Sanchez met with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
During a press conference at Rafah, the Spanish prime minister called for a peace conference to implement such a solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians would be represented.
