FILE – People march during a pro-Palestinian rally in Madrid on Dec. 2, 2023.
Spain’s Jewish community criticized the government’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood.
“We consider that the recognition of the Palestinian state should be reached from a consensus between all members of the EU. … Talking of two states, when one wants to push you into the sea, is difficult,” the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain told VOA in a statement.
Last month, Spain, along with Ireland, Malta and Slovenia, issued a joint statement saying they were “ready to recognize Palestine.”
Vanessa Frazier, the current president of the U.N. Security Council and Malta’s ambassador to the U.N., said this week that she has received a letter from the Palestinian Authority asking to be recognized as a full member of the United Nations and that the letter has been circulated to Security Council members.
Nine out of the 27 EU member states recognize a sovereign Palestine.
In 2014, Sweden became the first member of the bloc to recognize a Palestinian state. Malta and Cyprus did so before they joined the EU. Some Eastern European states did so when they were members of the Soviet Union, but Hungary and the Czech Republic have since emerged as close allies of Israel.
Apart from Spain, domestic political reasons may prevent Ireland and Belgium from formally recognizing the Palestinian state in the short term, observers said.
Ireland faces a general election next year and Belgium has a coalition government that is not united on the issue.
Malta and Slovenia are more likely to follow Madrid’s example.
Source link : https://www.voanews.com/a/spain-s-decision-to-recognize-palestinian-state-marks-potential-turning-point-for-europe-/7556898.html
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Publish date : 2024-04-04 07:00:00
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