In light of ongoing tensions and the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on Sunday called for a significant escalation of diplomatic pressure on Israel. At a summit he hosted in Madrid, which brought together representatives from 20 European and Arab countries, Albares vehemently advocated for an “arms embargo” against Israel, emphasizing that no more arms sales should be made to the country. The Middle East does not need weapons at the moment, according to the minister.
The main objective of the Madrid Group meeting was “to end Israel’s unjust and cruel war in Gaza, to break the blockade of humanitarian aid, and to finally move towards the two-state solution,” Albares explained. He urgently warned that silence in the face of what is happening was “complicit.”
Albares went even further in his demand, suggesting that the European Union should not only suspend the Association Agreement with Israel but also impose individual sanctions against those who impede the two-state solution. He explicitly did not rule out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “If the war does not stop, the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel, which is based on its Article 2 and Israel, must therefore be immediately suspended with respect for human rights,” Albares said.
Spain has already imposed sanctions on thirteen Israeli settlers, and Albares made it clear that he does not rule out extending these to political leaders. The list of individual sanctions should “include all those who do not believe in the two-state solution and also make it impossible through their actions.”
The Spanish Foreign Minister also urged the summit participants to use the United Nations Conference on June 17 as a “great movement” for the recognition of the Palestinian state. The aim is to encourage other countries to take the step that Spain already took a year ago. “Time is also running out for the establishment of a realistic and viable Palestinian state,” he warned.
Participating countries in Madrid included Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, as well as Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and even Brazil. Despite different governments and continents, they all share the principle: “None of us have resigned ourselves to violence being the natural way of relations between Palestinians and Israelis,” Albares said.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, whose country also recognized Palestine a year ago, reaffirmed the need to end the war and ensure humanitarian access, but also emphasized the long-term importance of the two-state solution for lasting peace.
Albares underscored the growing international concern about the situation in Gaza: “More and more countries are convinced of what Spain has long been convinced of: there is no alternative to the two-state solution.” He decisively rejected alternatives such as killing all Palestinians or deporting them, emphasizing that the actions of Madrid and the summit participants were not directed against Israel, but on the contrary took into account the legitimate security needs of the Israeli people. At the same time, he called for the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
