Spain appeals to partners to approve the sanctions proposed by Brussels: “They do not go against the existence of Israel”
Madrid – The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, insisted this Friday on the need for the Twenty-Seven to greenlight the package of sanctions proposed by Brussels regarding Israel, arguing that they are not against the existence of the Jewish state but against the war.
He made this statement in remarks to the press in Egypt, where he is accompanying the Kings on their state visit, after the previous day the German Chancellor, Friederich Merz, indicated that Germany has not yet decided whether it will endorse the partial suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel.
“The diplomatic effort we are making is to ensure that this minimum package of sanctions against Israel, which the Commission has put on the table, is approved by all member states,” the minister stated.
In his opinion, “no one disagrees about what is happening in Gaza,” regardless of whether they label it genocide or not, “and therefore, if no one does, I don’t see why we couldn’t move forward in that decision-making.”
In this regard, he has tried to “make it clear to all those who have reservations that of course these measures are not against the existence of the State of Israel, they are not against the people of Israel.” “They are against the war, against the slaughter of Palestinians, and in favor of peace, and that is a goal that any member state of the European Union must consider legitimate,” he asserted.
“If we agree on what is happening, if we agree on the unacceptability of what is happening, we must agree on the response,” he argued, among other things because “it is merely the application of the European Union’s own regulations.”
It is time to “make concrete decisions”
Albares has argued that it is time for the Twenty-Seven to “make concrete decisions and send a clear message to Israel.” Thus, he reiterated that Israelis “cannot expect from the EU and EU members a normal relationship as if nothing were happening” in Gaza.
The message, the minister added, is directed “to the society of Israel so that they understand that the relationship between the Government of Israel and European governments can only be based on respect for Human Rights, in favor of peace, and in respect of International Law.” (September 19)
