The Palestinian people have the right to hope just as the Israeli people have the right to security. This is the path that leads to peace, which will allow an end to the ongoing violence and the endless suffering of two peoples called to live together. Since October 7, we have observed that the risk of regional escalation has become more real than ever, leading to geopolitical, economic, and humanitarian repercussions that are unpredictable. For the sake of peace, Spain supports the two-state solution, which, if it becomes irreversible, will make peace irreversible in the region. The way forward lies in recognizing Palestine as a state and a member of the United Nations. To put an end to this cycle of recurring violence in the Middle East, the only way is the two-state solution, which enjoys the recognition of the entire international community. It is time to implement it, and this is what Spain will do on May 28. We hope that the solution we all agree on—a Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security—will become a reality, and that peace between Israelis and Palestinians will ultimately be a tangible truth.
The establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel certainly represents a matter of justice, but it also embodies the only viable option for peace. The Palestinian state must be viable and unite Gaza and the West Bank under the same Palestinian authority, with a connection between them and an outlet to the sea, and its capital should be East Jerusalem. Spain has spare no effort in engaging with all concerned parties to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Personally, the President Sanchez and I have visited the region several times since October 7. We have also made several calls with a number of regional partners, carefully avoiding regional escalation. Since that date, Spain has continuously called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in need.
Our decision to recognize the Palestinian state stems from the magnitude of the challenges regarding peace and justice, particularly concerning hope and the future. Spain will recognize the Palestinian state because the Palestinian people cannot be judged to be a people of refugees, and because peace in the Middle East hinges on that, just like Israel's security. The Palestinian people have the right to a hopeful future, just as the Israeli people have the right to a future filled with peace and security. After these many decades of suffering, we know that the two are intertwined: the security in Israel and the peace in the region are closely linked to the hopes of the Palestinian people to have their own state. Both have the right to this same right.
The Spanish parliament requested the government to recognize the State of Palestine on November 18, 2014. Our decision is rooted in the core of Spanish society. This decision has been announced on several occasions, representing an irreversible commitment from our government. Furthermore, Spain has proposed to hold an international peace conference as soon as possible, to advance towards achieving this solution. Our proposal has been supported by both the European Union and the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, totaling more than 80 countries. We hope that this multilateral diplomacy will help open a new chapter in the history of the Middle East: the chapter of final peace.
The best way to protect and ensure the implementation of this two-state solution is to recognize the State of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. This means recognition by all, as the vast majority of the members have done, and as Spain intends to do. We can wait no longer; in May 1948, three years after the San Francisco Conference that led to the establishment of the United Nations, this organization launched its first peacekeeping operation— the first in history. That was 76 years ago, and that first peacekeeping mission was in Palestine. It is the oldest problem faced by the United Nations; how much longer must we wait to resolve it?
Hundreds of thousands of people—entire families including children—are currently deprived of food, water, medicine, and shelter. How much longer must they wait? There are over 100 hostages held by Hamas. How many more days must they and their families wait before they can return home? Since that horrific day on October 7, violence has claimed the lives of 1200 Israelis and more than 34,000 Palestinians. How many more lives must we lose? The Palestinian people must have their own state, just as all who have not recognized Israel's status and existence must do so. This represents justice for Palestine and the best guarantee for Israel's security, as well as being the first and essential condition for a future of peace and prosperity in the region.
Peace, justice, hope, and the future represent the values that the international community must support and defend. These are the very principles that guide Spain's commitment. It is these ideas and nothing else that we promote in Palestine, and we need to crystallize them, for the sake of peace and justice and from a standpoint of pure human dignity.
