<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denounced this Monday in New York the "double standard" that "prevents us from condemning with the same determination" the Russian invasion of Ukraine and "the murder of more than 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza."</strong></h4> "In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Much of the international community, including the United States and the EU, rightly condemned this aggression. We also approved sanctions against the invader and provided support to the victim. Well, I keep wondering what double standard prevents us from condemning with the same determination the murder of more than 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza," Sánchez said during his speech at Columbia University, within the framework of the World Leaders Forum and on the occasion of his participation in the United Nations High-Level Week. “Spain firmly recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist and to defend its own security. We have also condemned in the strongest possible terms the brutal terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” he continued. “But protecting your country is one thing; killing more than 60,000 civilians, displacing two million people, bombing hospitals, and starving innocent children is quite another,” he warned. “We are witnessing one of the darkest and most terrible events of the 21st century unfolding before our eyes, and the international community cannot remain paralyzed and silent,” he added. During his speech, the Prime Minister defended a progressive response to global challenges based on three fundamental principles: an open and fair economy, a rules-based international order, and the strength of open societies. “We must defend these values because the truths we take for granted may cease to be so,” he warned. “Being progressive is not a matter of naive idealism, but of responsible pragmatism,” based on the principle that “the rules must always prevail over the law of the strongest,” he added. Regarding the first point, Sánchez defended economic openness and social justice because “the economy is not a zero-sum game and international trade helps us expand the pie.” In this context, he asserted, the responsibility of governments is to help redistribute the benefits of economic growth and trade by implementing mechanisms that ensure “everyone wins.” He also took the opportunity to once again praise the Spanish model of economic growth, based on “social justice and the green transition,” and asserted that migrants have contributed around 20% to Spain's per capita economic growth in the last three years. “For us, migration is not a source of fear and threat, but of hope and opportunity,” he affirmed. On the other hand, Pedro Sánchez insisted on the need to maintain a rules-based international order, strengthen multilateralism, and advance its reform to avoid "a world of blocs and spheres of influence." "While others withdraw from multilateral institutions and reduce their commitment to international aid and development, we will redouble our efforts," he continued. Regarding the third point, the Prime Minister highlighted the virtues of an open society and the importance of defending democratic freedoms as a safeguard against tyranny. "When the free voice of a society is silenced, that society is destined to die," Sánchez warned. Therefore, he invited the students and academics present to appreciate and defend freedom of expression. "Oppose any attempt to suppress it, because if we lose the freedom to disagree with those in power, we will be sowing the seeds of tyranny," Sánchez warned. Before arriving at Columbia University, Pedro Sánchez met with senior executives from major investment firms at the Spanish Economic and Trade Office in New York to discuss the evolution of the global and European economy and address public-private investment opportunities in Spain in the ecological and digital spheres. He later met with Larry Fink, CEO of the powerful investment fund BlackRock.
