OVIEDO: Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares denounced Israel’s allegations against the Spanish and Belgian prime ministers on Friday as “out of place,” “false,” and completely “unacceptable.”
Spanish FM warned that there will be an answer hours following Israeli Foreign Minister claimed the two European leaders are “giving support to terrorism.”
Amid the rising diplomatic conflict, Jose Manuel Albares said Israel’s “false” allegations were “especially serious” given the fact that Spain is representing the European Union as the incumbent president of the EU Council, a position that will be given to Belgium on January 1st, 2024.
Gaza: Diplomatic Row Between Spain and Israel
One of Sanchez’s main goals for his trip of the middle east over the past two days, where he met with regional leaders including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was to lay the work for peace dialogue.
“Violence will lead to only violence. We need to substitute violence with peace and hope,” said PM Sanchez at the Rafah border crossing on Friday. However, his peace trip concluded in a diplomatic row with Israel.
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This is not the first diplomatic row between Spain and Israel since October 7 as in October, the Israeli Embassy in Spain alleged some Spanish ministers of being aligned with “terrorism” because of their criticism of the Israeli blockade and bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended the ministers and said Israel was misrepresenting their opinions and asserting that Ministers can share their views freely in Spain.
Speaking from Egypt on Friday, Prime Minister Sanchez announced that while Spain will advocate at the European Union level for the recognition of the State of Palestine, he is open to a unilateral recognition of the State of Palestine if the other countries do not agree.
