Israel yesterday condemned the Spanish intention to recognize the State of Palestine, claiming that it amounts to rewarding terrorism, taking into account the Hamas attack on October 7th.
The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced at the beginning of March his intention to recognize the Palestinian State and released a joint statement on Friday with his counterparts from Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to that effect.
“This recognition, following the October 7th massacre, sends a message to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terrorist attacks against Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures towards Palestinians,” said the Israeli Government.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said in a statement that Sánchez’s intention and the declaration by Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland “constitute a reward for terrorism”.
“The only way to combat Palestinian terrorism is to unequivocally condemn Hamas,” said Haiat, quoted by the Spanish agency EFE.
The spokesperson accused Hamas of having committed “war crimes, crimes against humanity and sexual crimes” on October 7th. He also said that the countries concerned must “explicitly demand the release of all hostages” from Hamas. “The resolution of the conflict will only be possible through direct negotiations between the parties,” he said.
The spokesperson added that the intention to recognize Palestine “only takes away the achievement of a resolution and increases regional instability”.
Ten European Union (EU) countries already recognize the Palestinian State: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Sweden.
Thirteen other countries have diplomatic representation in East Jerusalem or Ramallah, including Spain.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, more than 32,000 people have died as a result of the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities controlled by Hamas.
The war was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israeli soil, on October 7, which caused around 1,200 deaths, with the Islamist group’s militants taking more than two hundred hostages.