<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob once again demonstrated their absolute agreement on the situation in the Middle East on Thursday by adopting a Joint Declaration in which they express their rejection of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and the mass displacement of Palestinians. They also support an "immediate and lasting ceasefire," the imposition of sanctions against Israeli settlers and an arms embargo on Israel, the implementation of the two-state solution, and the revision of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel.</strong></h4> Sánchez received Golob in Madrid, with whom he discussed "the excellent relations between both countries and their close understanding on key issues, such as the catastrophe in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, European security and defense, strategic autonomy, international trade, and European Union financing," according to a press release from the Spanish government. Regarding the Middle East, on the one-year anniversary of Spain and Slovenia's recognition of the State of Palestine, both leaders signed a Joint Declaration to "reaffirm their commitment to the implementation of the two-state solution and the need to act in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe and human rights violations taking place in Gaza." The Joint Declaration demands that Israel "urgently lift the blockade on Gaza and allow unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, which must be coordinated by the United Nations." It also rejects the aid plan implemented by Israel, "which could lead to a new mass displacement of Palestinians," and expresses "the parties' firm rejection of the increasing violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which includes settler attacks, the illegal expansion of settlements, and forced displacement." The text also calls for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" and progress "toward the implementation of the two-state solution." In this regard, it highlights the importance of the Madrid Group meeting held last weekend in the Spanish capital and encourages taking advantage of "the opportunity presented by the high-level conference to be held next month in New York." Finally, the Declaration reiterates the two countries' call to review the European Union's Association Agreement with Israel "on the basis of its Article 2, which states that the relationship between the European Union and Israel must be based on respect for human rights." Slovenia and Spain also propose new sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and an arms embargo on Israel. The governments of Spain and Slovenia maintain very similar positions regarding the crisis in the Middle East, which began with the Hamas attacks on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which caused nearly 1,200 deaths, and continued with the brutal Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has already caused around 50,000 deaths. In March 2024, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, and Malta signed a Declaration pledging to recognize the State of Palestine when "the appropriate circumstances arise." The following month, Pedro Sánchez and Robert Golob reaffirmed this commitment during a visit by the Prime Minister to Ljubljana and supported Palestine's accession to the UN as a "full member." On May 28, 2024, Pedro Sánchez announced to the press that the Council of Ministers had just officially recognized the State of Palestine. Spain's decision was adopted simultaneously by Ireland and Norway, and Slovenia joined the initiative a few days later. Separately, on May 7, the foreign ministers of Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, and Slovenia issued a Joint Declaration expressing their "concern" about Israel's plan to expand its military operations in Gaza and firmly rejecting any policy of permanent displacement of the population of this Palestinian enclave. Finally, the governments of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway issued a Joint Declaration this past Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the recognition of Palestine. They advocated for "the implementation of the two-state solution" and called for "the individual recognition of Palestine and Israel by those who have not yet done so" and for "Palestine's admission to the United Nations as a full member."
