Spain is to face consequences for recognizing a Palestinian state - opinion

Spain’s Social Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy, a member of the left-wing-to-extreme-Left Sumar alliance party, sent letters to several Spanish companies that conduct significant business in Israel, calling on them to take measures ensuring their activities do not contribute to genocide or human rights violations.

If genocide and human rights are Spain’s concerns, how exactly does that explains its great sympathy toward the Palestinians?

The high point came in the last elections in 2023, when, to be able to serve another term, Sánchez was forced into forming a coalition with the Sumar party, which strongly identifies with the Palestinians, and signed a coalition agreement to recognize a Palestinian state.

The Spaniards, particularly those members of the prime minister’s socialist PSOE party, justify this move as providing hope to the Palestinians. Practically, it is because the balance of power is in the hands of Sumar extremists.

Those who recognized a Palestinian state

Last month, the Spanish government took another step, coordinating recognition of the “state of Palestine” with Norway and Ireland. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned the ambassadors of these countries and made them watch the horror movies recorded on Oct 7. He also sent a note diplomatique proscribing consular services for Palestinian Authority (PA) residents at the east Jerusalem Spanish Consulate.

On June 6, Albares declared Spain's intention to join South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.  

Despite repeated attempts by the Catalonian independence movement, Madrid firmly opposes the move.

The Catalan independence movement calls for international recognition of Catalonia as an independent country and the severance of political and economic ties with Spain. There is much support for holding a new referendum on independence, based on international legal standards.

Madrid, however, considers Catalonian independence in violation of the Spanish Constitution. Sánchez has called on the independence movement to “sit around the negotiating table” and come to a solution, emphasizing that independence is not an option. Believe it or not, this is the same prime minister who, some two weeks ago, announced his country’s recognition of a Palestinian state “with east Jerusalem as its capital.” Sánchez said that Spain would not recognize changes to the 1967 borders “unless they were accepted by agreement.”

Recognition of the “state of Palestine” and allegations by Spanish government ministers that Israel is committing “genocide” have thrown the Spanish government into a state of confusion as it fears that opening the door to Palestinian entitlement – under international law could conceivably result in requests for political asylum to the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv or the consulate in Haifa from up to two million Palestinians. Spain would be compelled to examine, approve, and coordinate these requests, filed instead of in Jerusalem, at Spain’s embassy in Tel Aviv or its Haifa consulate.

The Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry is aware that pro-Palestinian associations are already preparing to help numerous Gazans obtain a new ‘refugee status’ and immigrate to Spain. Okdiario also reported that a ruling by the Supreme Court in Spain in favor of accepting Palestinian refugees would require the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry to put the applicants on a plane to Spain for their security.

Meanwhile, according to Okdiario, the Spanish foreign ministry has asked government ministers to refrain from using the term “genocide” in connection with the war in Gaza. It appears that Spain has got itself into quite a political predicament and is not sure how to get out of it.

By joining the case of accusing Israel of “genocide,” Spain joins the worst of our enemies, those who on October 7 murdered men, children, and babies in the most barbaric way, raped and burned women and children in front of their family members, and still sexually and mentally abuse over 100 hostages and captives.

Israel must urgently recall the Israeli ambassador “for consultations” and demonstrate to the antisemitic government that we will not turn the other cheek. The days of the Inquisition are over.

The writer is CEO of Radios 100FM, an honorary consul, vice president of the consular staff, and vice president of the Ambassadors Club of Israel.