Spain has joined other European countries Norway and Ireland to formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said the establishment of a Palestinian state is “the only route to peace” in the middle east.
The Prime minister spoke on Tuesday before a cabinet vote that approved the previously announced plan to recognize a Palestinian state. Norway’s recognition has also taken effect, while Ireland has also followed suit.
Spanish government spokesperson, Pilar Alegria, announced that the cabinet had “adopted an important decision to recognize a Palestinian state”, which had “the objective to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace”.
The Spanish prime minister called the move “a matter of historical justice”.
The leaders of Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said in March that they were considering recognizing a Palestinian state as “a positive contribution” towards ending the war in Gaza.
However, the announcements earned only fury from Israel, widening its disagreements with some European union states over the continuing war in Gaza. In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “the intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism.”
