Spain rejects Israeli 'restrictions' on Spanish consulate in West Bank
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Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirms that Spain already requested the occupation "to reverse this decision."
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Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno addresses a media conference prior to talks on the Middle East in Brussels, Monday, May 27, 2024. (AP)
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated that Spain rejects the "restrictions" intended by "Israel" to be imposed on the consulate in al-Quds after Spain recognized the Palestinian State.
In an interview with radio Onda Cero, he said, "This morning we sent a ’note verbale’ to the Israeli government in which we reject any restriction on the normal activity of the Spanish consulate general in Jerusalem, as its status is guaranteed by international law. This status cannot therefore be changed unilaterally by Israel."
He revealed that Spain had already requested the occupation "to reverse this decision."
Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced last week that the Spanish consulate in al-Quds will be prohibited from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank.
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In a statement, Katz proclaimed "I have decided to sever the connection between the Spanish mission to Israel and the Palestinians, and to prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem [al-Quds] from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank."
Historic moment
This decision, according to the Israeli occupation, follows Spain's declaration to recognize an independent Palestinian state alongside "Israel", and after Spanish Minister Yolanda Díaz concluded a speech with the phrase "Palestine will be free from the river to the sea."
On May 28, Spain, Ireland, and Norway officially recognized the state of Palestine.
That day, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain is recognizing a Palestinian state, including the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, under the Palestinian National Authority with "East Jerusalem as its capital."
Meanwhile, Ireland officially recognized the Palestinian state in Parliament, the government announced in a statement, saying, "The Government recognises Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah."
On its part, Norway hailed its recognition as a "special day" for its relations with Palestinian authorities.
"Israel" denounced the move as a "reward" for the Palestinian Resistance Hamas. In response to that, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed that recognizing a Palestinian state does not make it a 'gift' to Hamas.
