Media: Sanchez wants Spain to recognize Palestinian statehood this year

As reported by Spanish media on Tuesday, this was stated by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during his visit to Jordan.

“We have to think seriously about doing it this semester,” Sanchez told a group of Spanish journalists accompanying him on a trip to three Middle Eastern countries, according to media reports.

Mr. Sanchez had indicated on March 9 that he would propose that the parliament vote on recognition by the end of the current term, ie by mid-2027. Then on March 22, Spain and three other countries – Ireland, Malta and Slovenia – issued a joint statement on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels, in which they indicated that they were “ready to recognize Palestine” when the conditions for the creation of a state were met.

Madrid may recognize Palestinian statehood during the European Parliament (EP) election campaign or “in the following weeks,” according to popular Spanish daily El Pais. EP elections in Spain will be held on June 9. The publication wrote that Mr. Sanchez, who will travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar after his visit to Jordan, wants to try to convince Arab countries that have not yet recognized Israel to take such a step.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not recognize Israel.

Mr. Sanchez has repeatedly said that the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to recognize two states, Israel and Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Palestinian statehood for some time.