On Spain's recognition of the State of Palestine

Last Tuesday, Spain, along with Norway and Ireland, took a historic stance in advocating for the justice of the Palestinian cause and believing in the right of the Palestinian people to establish their state, which includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that his country “will not recognise any changes that occurred on the Palestinian borders after 1967, unless the parties agree to that,” thus further increasing the diplomatic isolation of the occupying state, in light of the tragic repercussions of the genocidal war it is waging on the Gaza Strip.

Since October 2023, and the brutal Israeli aggression that followed on the Gaza Strip, the Spanish political class, and a large part of cultural, intellectual, media and public opinion have faced the major questions raised by the conflict in terms of its historical roots and its dramatic developments, for which the Palestinian people have paid the price dearly over the past seven decades. With the intensification of the bombing and the increase in the brutality of the Israeli killing machine in Gaza, a different Spanish position began to develop within the European Union, especially after the statements by Spanish officials about the Gaza Holocaust, including the Spanish Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz, saying, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Spanish cities also witnessed marches and demonstrations denouncing the Israeli massacres against defenceless civilians in Gaza and demanding that the occupying state be held accountable for its crimes.

The Spanish decision has confused the occupying state, especially since its timing is very significant, coming only a few days after the ICJ’s order to stop the attack on Rafah. It also coincides with the Israeli government’s confusion and inability to achieve its goals in Gaza. At the same time, the decision to recognise the State of Palestine was a blow to the Zionist lobby in Spain, which is led by businessman David Hatchwell, who heads the Fundación HispanoJudía (the Hispanic-Jewish Foundation) and maintains close relations with organisations and parties affiliated with the Spanish right. The failure of this lobby to block the decision will have repercussions within Spanish institutions and circles that support the Israeli narrative.

In the same context, the Spanish decision recalls a great historic legacy of advocacy for the Palestinians, as Madrid recognised the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people (1974), and called for resolving the conflict by ending Israel’s occupation of the territories occupied in 1967, and recognising the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and establishing their independent state in accordance with international resolutions. Although Spain recognised Israel (1986), this did not prevent it from continuing to support Palestinian rights, which are recognised by the UN.

Read: Beyond two state solution – Why recognising the State of Palestine is important

With the end of the Cold War and the formation of a new world order, Madrid hosted an international peace conference, in an effort to revive the peace process in the Middle East and adopt a just solution to the Palestinian issue. After the signing of the Oslo Accords (1993) and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, Spain was one of the European countries that allocated large financial resources to support development projects in the autonomous territories. However, this trend declined after the outbreak of the Second Intifada, the failure of the Camp David negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli parties (2000), and the adoption of the “counter-terrorism” agenda by most Western countries after the events of September 11, 2001.

The recognition of the State of Palestine by Spain, Norway, and Ireland may have a snowball effect within the European Union. This poses challenges to the Zionist lobby, which typically has a wide network of influence in a number of European capitals. If other European countries decide to recognise the State of Palestine, this will create an unprecedented political situation in Europe, which could have long-term repercussions.

Spain’s recognition of the State of Palestine is of political and historical importance, as it will help increase international pressure on Israel, to push it to accept withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories and to accept the two-state solution. It also has symbolic importance, as it draws a new image of Spain as a free state opposed to occupation, settlement, racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing, which the Zionist state represents.

This article first appeared in Arabic in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on 30 May 2024.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.