<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish government condemned this Thursday the motion approved by the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in favor of the annexation of the West Bank.</strong></h4> With 71 votes in favor, 13 against, and 84 abstentions, the Israeli Parliament approved this Wednesday a non-binding motion, promoted by political parties close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which supports the full annexation of the occupied West Bank. "The vote, although lacking binding effect, ignores the fundamental principles and provisions of international law and is contrary to the Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024, of the International Court of Justice, which determines that the occupation is illegal," the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The motion also undermines the foundations for the implementation of a two-state solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people, peace in the region, and the security of Israel, by ignoring the commitments made by Israel and Palestine since the Madrid Conference and the Oslo Process,” he continued. “Spain reiterates its condemnation of the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, and of any action aimed at hindering a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the Foreign Ministry stated. Therefore, “Spain renews its call for the release of the hostages, a cessation of hostilities, and massive access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, in line with the principles of international humanitarian law,” and “reiterates its firm support for the two-state solution as the only way to achieve peace,” it concluded. For his part, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares wrote on social media this Thursday that “the violence in Gaza must stop now. The famine, which is also causing deaths, must end now. We demand an end to the restrictions on humanitarian aid, which must be delivered urgently and on a large scale. We urge a ceasefire.” “The indiscriminate attacks against civilians are unacceptable and we condemn them. We demand the protection of humanitarian workers and journalists in accordance with the obligations of international humanitarian law. The path to peace is through a two-state solution,” he concluded in a second message. The text approved by the Knesset establishes that the West Bank (known in Israel as “Judea and Samaria”) constitutes “an inseparable part of the land of Israel” and urges the government to move forward with assuming sovereignty over these territories, including the Jordan Valley and other areas. During the session, Netanyahu, one of the main sponsors of the motion, reaffirmed his support for annexation. The motion was promoted by right-leaning politicians, such as Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism party, Dan Illouz of Likud, and Oded Forer of Yisrael Beitenu. Arab and progressive parties voted against it. For his part, Ahmad al-Deek, political advisor to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declared that "the Israeli government wages a daily war against the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state," and the Ministry itself issued a statement condemning the motion, considering it a violation of international agreements and undermining the possibility of a two-state solution.
