SPAIN CALLS MEETING OF ARAB MINISTERS TO STUDY GAZA CONFLICT

The Spanish government has called a meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Friday, in which the problems and possible solution to the conflict with Israel should be studied, focusing on the peaceful existence of two states.

The Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, is one of the European leaders who pays the greatest attention to Palestine. He has officially recognized it, provoking the anger of the Jewish prime minister, Netanyahu. He has also strongly condemned the genocide in Gaza and has stressed that Palestine has as much right to exist as Israel.

The meeting is attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as the Palestinian prime minister, Mohsmed Mustafa. The head of foreign policy of the European Union (EU), José Borrell, is among those attending. Other attendees are the high representatives of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. On the European side, there are the Spanish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Slovenian ministers.

Initially, an attempt was made to have Israel send a representative to this meeting, but the Netanyahu government rejected the invitation, as well as the objectives that will be discussed at this meeting.

The efforts made by the Sánchez government have provoked a wave of criticism from Israel, which has prohibited the Spanish consuls in Tel Aviv and Al Quds from holding meetings with Palestinian leaders.

There is a long history of meetings between Arabs and Palestinians organized by Madrid, but all these diplomatic efforts have failed due to the hostility of the Hebrew government. The Arabs, in their entirety, have agreed to support the two-state solution, and have repeatedly appealed to the United States and the EU to defend that position.