The Diplomat
The acting Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, yesterday held a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in which, in addition to condemning “the terrorist attacks by Hamas”, he advocated “preventing the conflict from spreading to the rest of the region”.
This is the first time Sánchez has spoken to Netanyahu since the attacks of 7 October. Although, from the outset, the Prime Minister expressed his rejection of Hamas’ aggression, it is striking that he has not travelled to Israel as other Western leaders have done, especially since Spain currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In a message on his account on the social network X, Sánchez indicated that he had conveyed to his Israeli colleague his “deep concern for the protection of all civilians and the need for humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza in a sufficient and sustained manner”. To this end, he added, a humanitarian ceasefire is necessary”.
He also insisted on his condemnation of Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel and that Israel has “the right to defend itself against them, within the limits of international and humanitarian law”.
For Pedro Sánchez, “we must prevent the conflict from spreading to the rest of the region“. “We must address a definitive solution for peace, based on the solution of two states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting in peace and security”, he repeated.
Meanwhile, the acting Social Rights minister and secretary general of Podemos, Ione Belarra, insisted yesterday on her criticism of Israel, saying that asking the country to comply with international law “that it despises serves no purpose”. She also demanded that Benjamin Netanyahu be “stopped in his tracks” with exemplary economic sanctions and an arms embargo.
Sánchez will hold a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community at La Moncloa first thing today, and later he will meet with representatives of the Muslim community, in both cases, accompanied by the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with Parliament and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños.
Yesterday, dozens of people in Madrid demonstrated their rejection of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October and called on the Spanish government and the European Union to intervene to secure the release of the more than 200 hostages kidnapped in the raid.
“The rally, organised by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain in front of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, was attended by those present, at which a manifesto was read out, a minute’s silence was observed for the victims and their families spoke.
Among those present, who carried Israeli flags and posters with photographs of the hostages, were the president of the Movement Against Intolerance, Esteban Ibarra, and politicians such as the PP deputy in Madrid, Daniel Portero, reports Europa Press.
Also taking part in the rally were former Vox spokesman in Congress Iván Espinosa de los Monteros and the spokeswoman of the same party in the Madrid Assembly, Rocío Monasterio, who described the acting Minister for Social Rights, Ione Belarra, and the Minister for Equality, Irene Montero, as “accomplices” of Hamas terrorism.
“The Spanish government must be clear, it must condemn the terrorism of Hamas and it must be clearly on the side of the Jewish people,” said Monasterio.
