Surely the PP spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Carlos Floriano, would think that it was strange to talk about ETA in a plenary session on the Middle East. So he drew on another of the favorite topics of the Spanish right: Venezuela. Thus, to respond to the intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who has vindicated Spanish policy in relation to Gaza, Israel and Lebanon: the recognition of the Palestinian State, support for the URNWA, the condemnation of the Israeli massacre in Gaza and the Hamas attacks of October 7.
But Floriano has started talking about the “diplomacy of commissions”, alluding to alleged payments related to Víctor Aldama, commission agent of the ‘Koldo case’, for efforts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. “The commission diplomacy that it practices, embarrasses, is irresponsible and leaves us absent in the international concert”; Floriano said.
And, before moving on to the last minutes to talk about Israel, Floriano has entered fully into one of the popular classics: Venezuela. Thus, he has accused the Spanish Government of “removing the winner of the elections from the country” instead of “removing the loser of the elections from power”, forgetting, of course, that the person who asked the Government for help to leave the country was himself. Edmundo González and that, in any case, not even the most furious antagonists of Nicolás Maduro, such as Argentina or the United States, have not managed to remove the Venezuelan president from power, each with their own strategy.
FINALLY, Floriano concluded by attacking the Spanish decision to recognize the Palestinian State, like more than 140 countries around the world: “The recognition of the Palestinian State was a maneuver before the European elections to erode Sumar, and nothing has moved forward. Neither in the ceasefire, nor in the release of the hostages or humanitarian corridors. “It has been a failure that has isolated us, it was a step to obtain political gain.”
Sumar spokesperson, Agustín Santos Maraver, has stated that the recognition of Palestine “has not achieved peace in Gaza, it is not enough. It is not enough to ensure that weapons are not sold, we must decree an arms embargo, enforce international law on Spanish companies, impose sanctions on settlers who violate humanitarian law and exercise diplomatic reciprocity with Israel.”
In this sense, Oskar Matute, from EH Bildu, has responded to Minister Albares. “Equidistances are not valid. It is genocidal madness, this is not being anti-Semitic, the dead Palestinians are Semites. To defend Israel, do not use crude lies, it has murdered 200,000 people of Semitic origin,” said the deputy, alluding to the Lancet calculations, which include indirect deaths as a result of the Israeli attacks: “I do not question the diplomatic efforts of Spain, but the situation is getting worse, it is not enough, it has proven incapable.”
Aitor Esteban, from the PNV, has accused other groups of “engaging in activism”, of being “in the black or the white”, and added: “The EU has nothing to do with this conflict, and Spain even less so. Israel ignores United Nations resolutions and what the North American administration may say. Netanyahu has recognized that he is changing the geopolitics of the region.”
Albares: “No country has done as much as Spain for peace”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has tried to vindicate Spanish policy: “I will say it clearly: no country has done as much as Spain for peace in the Middle East. We have done it in all areas: with political and diplomatic initiatives, with initiatives to stop the war and achieve peace; with actions to fight against impunity and defend international law, with commitment and action in humanitarian aid.”
“In the face of misinformation,” Albares said, “I want to make it clear that Spain does not sell weapons to Israel; Since October 7, 2023, Spain has not granted new licenses for the export of weapons to Israel and we monitor previous ones so that sales do not occur. Furthermore, we do not authorize ships carrying weapons bound for Israel to call at our ports. I repeat, Spain neither sells nor authorizes the transit of weapons that have Israel as their final destination.”
In any case, what Albares has not announced is a total and formal embargo, and he has not explained whether he reviews every ship that stops in Spain on the way to Israel.
“What world are we going to leave to our sons and daughters?” ERC deputy Jordi Salvador asked him: “We know that many Spanish banks finance the purchase of weapons from Israel, we must intervene. On the other hand, will it reach the 2% in weapons that NATO asks for or will they exceed it?”
The Foreign Minister stated that “Spain supports the work of the International Court of Justice, and is committed to international justice,” and has announced “an additional contribution of 1.6 million euros to reinforce its work. With it, since last year our country will have allocated more than 8 million to the International Criminal Court, which places us among the top ten contributors.”
Albares, at the same time, has announced that Spain will contribute to UNRWA, a United Nations organization persecuted by Israel, “an additional 4 million euros. Its defense is the defense not only of the dignity and rights of Palestinian refugees recognized in various resolutions of the General Assembly but also of international law and the United Nations, an essential system to guarantee global peace and security.”
Marta Madrenas Mir, Junts deputy, stated: “International treaties or humanitarian law can never be violated. We count civilian victims in the thousands. Beyond recognizing the Palestinian state, what will be the next step?”
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