Eduardo González
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, yesterday described as “nonsense” the accusations made by Israel against Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta, which he has accused of “rewarding terrorists” for supporting the recognition of the Palestinian State.
“It is nonsense to combine both things,” Albares declared during an interview on the program ‘Hoy por Hoy’, on Cadena SER. “Spain’s position has been clear from day one: we condemn the terrorist acts of Hamas. “He is not a partner for peace,” he continued. “But the Palestinian people have the right to a land and a hope and it does not have to be a chimera. It is not incompatible with having the State of Israel as a friend. The Palestinian State is the greatest guarantee of security for the State of Israel,” he added.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta of “rewarding terrorists” after their heads of government (Pedro Sánchez, Leo Varadkar, Robert Golob and Robert Abela, respectively) reached an agreement last Friday in Brussels, on the margins of the European Council, to “recognize Palestine (…) “when it can make a positive contribution and the right circumstances arise.”
Regarding the resolution adopted this past Monday by the UN Security Council calling for “an immediate ceasefire” during the month of Ramadan, the “immediate and unconditional release” of the hostages by Hamas and “the urgent need to expand the flow” of aid to Gaza (approved with fourteen votes in favor and the abstention of the United States), Albares affirmed that “it has great value” because “it had been put on the table several times and there was no could be carried forward.”
The Foreign Minister also referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence on seeing a black Ukrainian hand in the terrorist attack perpetrated on Friday in a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, where 139 people died, despite the fact that the attack was immediately claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.
“Putin does not need any excuse to escalate the conflict,” Albares told SER. “This is a war of aggression by Russia towards Ukraine” and, therefore, it makes no sense “to accuse Ukraine of a terrorist attack, which we have condemned,” he continued. “Ukraine has nothing to do, neither close nor far, with that attack. Putin doesn’t need excuses. He may want to cover himself a little, but his plans remain unchanged,” he added.
In any case, Albares wanted to send a message of calm regarding the risk of war for the EU: “The Spaniards know perfectly well what is happening. A war of aggression from Russia to Ukraine takes place. “Neither the EU nor NATO nor Spain are preparing for any war because they are defensive and not offensive alliances.” “Spain is not considering sending troops to Ukraine and no country is considering it, and neither is Ukraine asking for troops. Ukraine is asking for other things,” he concluded.
