<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated this Friday from Egypt that, "at this time," the government is not considering breaking relations with Israel because what is "absolutely urgent" is that Benjamin Netanyahu's government "cannot continue with this endless slaughter."</strong></h4> "Not at this time," the minister responded to the press regarding whether the government is considering breaking relations with Israel. "At this time, we are focused on taking measures" because "what is absolutely urgent" is that "Israel cannot continue its military effort in Gaza and with this endless slaughter," he added from Luxor, on the occasion of the final day of the King and Queen's state visit to Egypt. Albares made these statements just days before the start of the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Week, which, he asserted, will be "totally marked by all of Israel's actions and this systematic extermination of Gazans." It will include, among other meetings, the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Resolution of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, in which "many countries, starting with France, will follow the Spanish example and recognize the State of Palestine." "I want to remind you that the first country in the world to put the holding of an international conference on the two-state solution on the table at the beginning of all Israeli military operations was Spain," he recalled. “A second event will be the European Union Foreign Affairs Council,” in which “the foreign ministers will meet with the High Representative (of the EU, Kaja Kallas), and, of course, I will once again be particularly active in the need for the approval of the sanctions package that the European Commission has put on the table for Israel,” he continued. “This is the time to move on to making concrete decisions and sending a clear message to Israel: they cannot expect a normal relationship from the European Union and the members of the European Union, as if nothing were happening,” he warned. “And it is also precisely a message addressed to Israeli society, so that it understands that the relationship between the Government of Israel and European governments can only be based on respect for human rights, in favor of peace, and respect for international law,” he added. Separately, he announced, “there will also be an important meeting on funding for the Palestinian National Authority.” "This is another action that Spain is leading jointly with France, Norway, and Saudi Arabia," he recalled. "It is very important that while this situation of financial suffocation persists, in which Israel withholds taxes that should go to the Palestinian National Authority, those of us who believe in the two-state solution—in the State of Israel but also in the State of Palestine—take steps to alleviate this lack of funding and prevent financial suffocation," he warned, adding that recognition of the Palestinian state "does not remain nominal, but rather that there are concrete steps to put it into practice." "The diplomatic effort we are making is to ensure that this minimal package of sanctions against Israel, which the Commission has put on the table, is approved by all Member States," Albares explained. “Spain always tries to educate its partner countries and, of course, to make all those who have reservations understand that, of course, these measures do not go against the existence of the State of Israel, they do not go against the people of Israel, they are against the war, against the killing of Palestinians, and in favor of peace, and that is an objective that any Member State of the European Union must consider legitimate,” he continued. “If we agree on what is happening, if we agree on the unacceptability of what is happening, we must agree on the response,” he warned.
