Ahead of a Spanish cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said recognizing Palestine was not only “a matter of historical justice” but “an essential requirement for all of us to achieve peace.”
He insisted that Spain was not working against Israel but against Hamas, which opposes the two-state solution.
Israel appears to be most upset with Spain. Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted a video on social media showing flamenco dancing and music along with graphic images of the October 7 attack, with the caption: “Hamas: Thank you, Spain.”
Spain condemned the post, calling it “ugly and disgusting.” Mr. Katz posted similar videos about Ireland and Norway.
The conflict deepened when Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz publicly called for Palestinians to be “free from the rivers to the sea.” This is a controversial statement that many Israelis consider anti-Semitic and calls for the complete destruction of the State of Israel.
In a post on Tuesday on He told Sánchez that if he did not fire his deputy, “you would be participating in incitement to commit genocide and war crimes against the Jewish people.”
Diplomats suspect Israel is reacting strongly against Spain, Ireland and Norway to prevent other countries from following their lead.
Slovenia, Malta and Belgium have said in recent months they may also recognize Palestine. However, the Belgian government appears to have cooled this idea ahead of the election.
