THREE LEADERS WITH HONOUR AND COURAGE FOR A FREE PALESTINE

In the current media, Israel occupies a large space for its manifest obsession with continuing the wars in Gaza and Lebanon; and for repeatedly refusing to negotiate a provisional truce, which would have meant the release of the hostages held by Hamas.

On October 7 of last year, this radical movement carried out a brutal attack within Jewish territory. International public opinion rightly called this act a terrorist action.

From then on, Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded with a war that did not correspond to a proportional response. That war became in a few months a genocide of the Palestinian civilian population, which the vast majority of the world has repudiated. Added to this was the attack on Lebanon, an independent Pacific country, member of the United Nations.

Faced with these war crimes and Israel's refusal to negotiate even a truce of a few days or weeks, in the Arab world and in Europe, leaders with honour and courage have emerged to tell the Jewish state that its bombs and missiles may cause thousands of deaths (more than 43,000 already in Gaza) but are ineffective in destroying the Palestinian people's desire for freedom.

In the first line of those working for peace and reconciliation between communities we can mention two High Personalities of Arab Royal Houses, and a Spanish politician; in this case the first to speak out in favour of the existence of Palestine, with the support of Parliament in Madrid. These exceptional men are called: HH the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud; HH the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani; and the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez.

With admirable courage, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud has stood up to all the pressures from the West to recognise Israel, as other Arab countries have done. His response was a display of exceptional firmness: “Saudi Arabia will recognise Israel when its army has withdrawn from the occupied territories and the free state of Palestine exists,” the Crown Prince said unperturbed.

Saudi Arabia is home to the two holiest sites in Islam: the Al-Haram Mosque, which surrounds the Kaaba, the “House of Allah”; and the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina. Therefore, if the holy city were to recognise Israel, this could only be appreciated in the case of a definitive peace between the three monotheistic communities.

Acting as president, days ago in Riyadh, of a conference of the committee that brings together the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, MBS (the Crown Prince) demanded an end to the massacres committed by Israel against the Palestinians and Lebanese. He urged Israel “to refrain from any further act of aggression” and called on countries around the world to recognise Palestinian statehood.

In their closing statement on Monday, the assembled leaders said they “condemn in the strongest terms” the Israeli army’s actions “in the context of the crime of genocide … especially in the northern Gaza Strip during the past weeks”, citing torture, executions, disappearances and “ethnic cleansing”.

MBS is, without a doubt, one of the greatest prides of the Arab Nation, which will not give up no matter how much pressure is put on it. The Crown Prince already figures with great honour in the recent history of the Arabs against the barbaric action of the government led by Ntanyahu.

The best non-violent way to end a war is negotiation, when those who participate in it do so with sincerity and the will to reach a compromise that puts an end to their differences. This axiom is known to  all.

In the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the person who has been trying, day after day, to negotiate the difficult path to peace, first by means of a truce, is called the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

On his behalf, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrraman bin Jassim Al Thani, has travelled tirelessly to participate in all the negotiations, whether in Doha, Cairo or Paris. But how is it possible to negotiate peace with someone who only wants war? Netanyahu deceives even his own compatriots by telling them that he is working for the release of the hostages and the commitment to a truce. Promises that are clearly false. The Qatari Prime Minister was quick to notice the double game of the Hebrew negotiators.

The Emir and his Prime Minister have not ceased to present proposals to break the blockade. They have sought the support of the United States, without success because of the complicity maintained by the White House whatever the circumstances. The image of the Emir and his negotiator will always be preserved because they have acted with faith in the goals of a negotiation blocked time and again by the supporters of war.

The Emir of Qatar will also go down in history for these efforts that were confronted with the falsehood of those who, on the part of Israel, had the opportunity to negotiate for the release of the hostages, but refuse to do so. Faced with so much falsehood and double fire, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ordered Qatar to suspend its participation in the negotiating table. It will return if circumstances change. The efforts made by Qatar were never in vain.

Like other international organisations, the European Union (EU) always tries to reach unanimous decisions and commitments, but sometimes divisions arise within it. The 27 Europeans differ on the legal recognition of a Palestinian state. Thanks to one of its members; A man who is also steeped in the courage of his convictions took the step that others refused to take. Pedro Sánchez, faced all the opposing opinions that were expressed when he decided that Spain had the duty to recognise Palestine. And he did so, as promised, with the support of Parliament.

Sanchez has been supported in the recognition of Palestine by Malta, Ireland and Slovenia. The Spanish president has called for an international embargo on the sale of arms to the Hebrew state; he has courageously condemned the attacks by “Tsahal” against the UNIFIL forces concentrated on the border of the country of the cedars. And he has reiterated (the UN took the same decision later) that these forces will not withdraw as Netanyahu demanded.

Israel has turned the Spanish president into one of its greatest “enemies”. In an unworthy and clearly false gesture, it has accused him of being “complicit” in terrorism and has presented him on social networks as an accomplice of Hamas. To these insulting accusations, Pedro Sánchez has responded that “our commitment to international law is stronger than ever today.”

Three men of honour and courage for a free Palestine. History will remember them in the face of the barbarity that Israel continues to commit in Gaza and Lebanon.