Irish, Spanish PMs to meet; Palestine nation state plan on the table
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The newly appointed Irish premier will look to discuss a series of issues about the Israeli war on Gaza during a visit.
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Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives for a European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium on March 21, 2024. (AP)
The new Irish Taoiseach, Simon Harris, will meet the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to discuss their joint plan to recognize Palestine as a nation state and their plans to force the European Union (RU) to assess "Israel's" human rights obligations.
The Israeli government's violation of human rights should cost the occupation its association agreement with the EU, which is an all-encompassing trade agreement between the bloc and the Israeli regime. Harris and Sanchez will look to enforce a clause that obliges the EU to suspend the agreement with entities that violate human rights law, which "Israel" has been blatantly doing since it launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Sanchez will arrive in Dublin on Friday, marking the first visit of a foreign Prime Minister to Harris since he took over the Irish government this week.
Spain and Ireland have worked toward pro-Palestine issues since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, focussing on the rights of the Palestinian people to an independent state and criticizing Israeli violation of international law.
On Thursday in Brussels, Harris said he made clear Ireland's position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in a meeting with the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. Moreover, Harris reiterated a formal request, made by Dublin and Madrid earlier, to review the EU association agreement with "Israel".
"I believe the European Union must use all of the levers at its disposal [to protect the Palestinian people]," Harris said.
Harris also said that Sanchez was a welcome guest to Dublin, as "he'll be the first head of government that" Harris "will welcome to government buildings." He explained that he looks forward to having the opportunity to discuss with Sanchez "the issue of the recognition of the state of Palestine and broader matters."
Read more: EU foreign policy chief suggests reevaluating arms supply to 'Israel'
UN special rapporteur: EU is obliged to cut trade with 'Israel'
On the EU's obligation to cut trade relations with "Israel", the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories Occupied Since 1967, Francesca Albanese said that "Israel" has indeed violated the clauses of the agreement, which, in turn, means that the EU should take the appropriate actions.
Albanese pointed to the "disconnect" between the European Union's political class and the public regarding "Israel's" aggression on the Gaza Strip. Earlier, the official had extensively detailed the crimes and human rights violations committed by "Israel" in a report she had submitted to the concerned international authorities, saying that if it were not for a word limit, her team would have written an "encyclopedia" about such genocidal crimes.
"Israel has the political, financial, and economic means to continue operating business as usual," she stressed.
"Europe is the main trading partner—which accounts I think for 30% of Israel's trade — so it has a huge power and it should use that power. In the end, this is not an option, it's an obligation because Article 2 of that association agreement foresees the suspension in case of violations of human rights," Albanese explained.
Read more: Recognizing Palestine state European geopolitical interest: Spanish PM
