The acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has proposed holding a peace conference for the Middle East “in six months.” Furthermore, he has insisted on the two-state solution, although he has specified that the only one left to recognize is the Palestinian people. Sánchez believes that this peace conference will help the entire international community feel involved and can “definitively” find a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. At this point he has specified that Israel already has the support of the majority of countries and therefore “the one who has to be recognized is the Palestinian people.”

In statements to the media at the entrance to the summit of state and government leaders being held in Brussels this Thursday and Friday, he indicated that This is one of the main topics that the 27 partners will discuss. Sánchez has only answered questions in English from international media and has avoided answering questions from the Spanish press. For the moment, the idea of ​​an international peace conference has not generated enthusiasm among European partners who have doubts about the purpose of this type of forum at a time of maximum tension in the Middle East. In fact, the question of a peace conference has been dropped from the latest version of the summit conclusions after diplomatic initiatives such as the summit organized by Egypt were included in the first drafts.

Sánchez, who is also general secretary of the PSOE, has just signed a coalition government agreement with Sumar, which includes that both parties will “bet” on recognizing the Palestinian State, “in accordance with the resolution of the Congress of Deputies of November 18, 2014”, according to the text. Before signing the agreement, Yolanda Díaz’s party asked for unconditional, unilateral recognition without waiting for prior consensus within the European Union. Thus, in the midst of the semantic debate that the EU countries are having to seek a truce to the escalation of violence, the acting president has indicated that he is in favor of talking about a “ceasefire”, but that if the conditions should call for a “pause to channel all the humanitarian aid that the Palestinian population urgently needs.”

Along these same lines, he has reiterated that this humanitarian pause is “urgent” because “the images and suffering that are being seen in the media in the Gaza Strip are unacceptable.” In any case he has indicated that he supports the Israelis in their defense and against the terrorist attacks they suffered a few weeks ago. However, he has once again stressed that Israel’s response must be carried out in compliance with international humanitarian law. Finally, he urged the countries of the European Union to be “brave”, commit to finding a solution and “of course be with those who are suffering, the civilians in Israel and also the civilians in Palestine.”

“I can’t imagine the situation in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip, when almost half of the population are children. So I think it is very important that we send a clear message of humanity and empathy with these people who are suffering from this terrible situation,” he added. On the other hand, he wanted to send a message of support to Ukraine and stressed that it is very relevant that From the European Council a “clear unequivocal” message comes out along these lines in the face of Russian aggression. When questioned about the fact that the two conflicts now overlap, that of Ukraine and the Middle East, he assured that the entire EU is together behind Kiev.

Sánchez has also received as “magnificent news” that the leaders’ draft conclusions urge the Ministers of Economy and Finance to close the agreements on the new fiscal rules of the EU and the multiannual financial framework before the end of the year, in the one that frames the community budget and that includes an aid package to Ukraine of 50 billion euros for the period between 2024 and 2027. “The Government of Spain is going to get involved as it has done since the beginning of the presidency and I in particular so that these two very important files are completed with an agreement before the end of the year,” said Sánchez, who wants to point out a new both in economic matters to the Spanish presidency of the Council, as already happened with the agreement on the reform of the electricity market.