Eduardo González
The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, was received yesterday in Madrid by King Felipe VI and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, before whom he defended an increase in international pressure to stop the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and thanked “Spain’s position” in favor of a ceasefire and the two-state solution to end the conflict.
Abdullah traveled to Spain yesterday as part of a working tour of Madrid and Geneva to “mobilize international support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip,” according to the Jordanian Royal House. In Geneva, the Jordanian King will deliver a speech today at the Global Forum on Refugees, jointly convened by Jordan, Colombia, France, Japan and Uganda and co-sponsored by Switzerland and UNHCR.
The Hashemite King was received at La Zarzuela Palace by Felipe VI. During the meeting, according to the Jordanian Royal House, Abdullah II warned of the “deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip, stressed the need to “do everything possible to press for the protection of civilians and ensure the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid” and urged the international community to take steps to “lift the blockade and not obstruct the work of international relief organizations in carrying out their duties”.
Abdullah II was then received at the Moncloa Palace by Pedro Sánchez, who thanked Jordan for its efforts to move towards “a peaceful and lasting solution in Gaza”. During this meeting, according to Moncloa, the King and the President of the Government agreed on the importance of humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip in a constant manner and in sufficient quantity to mitigate the suffering of the civilian population and stressed the need for “a humanitarian ceasefire leading to the cessation of hostilities” and “to work together to provide a horizon of stability, based on the solution of two States, Israel and Palestine, coexisting in peace and security”. Sánchez also expressed Spain’s rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian population.
For his part, as reported by the Jordanian government, the Hashemite King asked Sánchez to increase international pressure to “stop Israel’s aggression against Gaza and guarantee the uninterrupted delivery of aid”. He also thanked “Spain’s position in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of the civilian population”, rejected any attempt to separate Gaza and the West Bank, because both regions are an integral part of “a single Palestinian state”, and warned of the need to end attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and the danger of an escalation in this territory. Abdullah II also defended the two-state solution, because “it is the guarantee for security, peace and reconstruction on a sustainable basis”, and stressed the importance of the European role and of “Spain’s position in particular” on this issue.
Second interview in a week and second visit in a year
This is the second conversation between the two leaders in less than a week. On December 7, the Jordanian monarch and Pedro Sánchez renewed, during a telephone conversation, their call for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”, warned of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip and stressed the need to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of aid. Likewise, Abdullah II praised “Spain’s call for a cease-fire, the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law”, according to the Jordanian Royal Household.
Separately, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, received yesterday at the ministerial headquarters of the Viana Palace the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, with whom he addressed “the situation in Gaza and the region”, as reported by the head of Spanish diplomacy through the social network X. “Spain is working for a humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the arrival of humanitarian aid,” he continued. “We join forces for a definitive peace materializing the two-state solution”, he concluded.
Yesterday’s was Abdullah II’s second working visit to Spain so far this year. The Jordanian King traveled to our country last June, accompanied by Queen Rania, on the occasion of the celebration of the meeting of the Aqaba Process, which took place in Cordoba. During the meeting between the two Kings -which took place almost four months before the current outbreak of violence in the Middle East, caused by the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 and Israel’s intense military response in the Gaza Strip-, Felipe VI and Abdullah expressly defended the two-State solution.
The King of Jordan has been very personally engaged in the search for a solution to the current conflict in the region. Apart from his meeting with Pedro Sanchez, the King has met over the last week by telephone with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others. The latest official figures of the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, released yesterday, are 18,412 dead and 50,100 wounded.
