Benjamin Netanyahu’s characterization of the Israeli military’s fatal shooting of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza as “a tragic incident” failed to alleviate the concerns of Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. His assertion that such events are commonplace in wartime did little to assuage Sánchez’s apprehensions.
Sánchez, known for his outspoken criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza following the terrorist attacks of October 7, expressed strong disapproval of Netanyahu’s explanations. He deemed them “totally unacceptable and insufficient,” emphasizing that Spain awaited a comprehensive and detailed account of the incident before determining its course of action regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government.
Sánchez’s recent statements, coupled with his declaration on Monday of Spain’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state by July, illustrate how some EU members, typically more reserved, feel compelled to speak out amid concerns about the bloc’s perceived failure to uphold its moral, political, and humanitarian responsibilities.
While condemning Hamas’s “shocking acts of terrorism” and acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defense, Sánchez has drawn the ire of Netanyahu’s government by describing the Palestinian death toll as “truly unbearable.” He has stressed that Israel’s response should not result in “the loss of innocent lives, including thousands of children.” Spain’s socialist prime minister has also expressed doubts about Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in its Gaza offensive.
In an interview with al-Jazeera on Thursday afternoon, Sánchez suggested that Israel’s actions in Gaza might prompt the EU to reconsider its strategic relationship with the country.
The rhetoric from Ireland, often viewed as the most pro-Palestinian voice in the EU, has been equally forthright. Outgoing taoiseach Leo Varadkar characterized the assault as “approaching revenge,” while Foreign Minister Micheál Martin deemed it “disproportionate.”
Some European diplomats believe that history will not view the EU favorably for its tendency to overlook the situation in Israel and Gaza while readily criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine. According to a senior diplomatic source, Spain and Ireland’s strong positions on Palestine are starting to have an impact. Each time Madrid and Dublin speak out, the sense of isolation diminishes, and other EU members are encouraged to join them.
Both Sánchez and Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, are firm in their belief that the two-state solution remains the only viable answer to the crisis in the Middle East. This conviction drives the Spanish government’s urgency in recognizing a Palestinian state.
“In the medium and long term, if we continue on the same path as the past decade, we will inevitably witness another cycle of violence. To break this cycle, we need to take a different approach, and that involves the establishment of a viable Palestinian state,” Albares emphasized during a press briefing in Brussels on Wednesday. “This is why we are moving forward with the recognition of the state of Palestine.”
Albares noted that the recognition of a Palestinian state has been a longstanding commitment in the foreign policy agenda of Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE). Even the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister himself, has expressed clear sentiments regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Dublin has been working to align itself with like-minded EU members and has adjusted its statements to encourage, rather than undermine, the EU’s foreign policy consensus. In addition to collaborating with Spain, Slovenia, and Malta last month to express a willingness to acknowledge Palestinian statehood, Ireland has joined forces with Spain to urge the EU to reconsider its trade agreement with Israel based on human rights obligations.
Last week, Ireland announced its intention to participate in South Africa’s groundbreaking international court case against Israel, seeking to broaden the definition of genocide to encompass aid blockades.
“Clearly, an entire population is bearing the brunt here, not only from the airstrikes but also from starvation,” Martin expressed. “We’ve endured famine; it’s ingrained in our collective memory,” he added, referring to the 1840s catastrophe known as the Great Hunger.
Martin tied Dublin’s reaction to the crisis in Gaza to Ireland’s foreign policy legacy, which aims to restrict specific weapons like cluster munitions and advocate for humanitarian corridors in conflicts such as those in Syria and Ethiopia.
Martin expressed his anticipation that Ireland’s foreign policy would stay consistent under Simon Harris, slated to succeed Varadkar as taoiseach next week. “We’ve collaborated with Simon Harris over the past four years in government, so we don’t foresee any significant issues regarding the substance of foreign policy,” he stated.
Irish diplomats and analysts note that Ireland’s colonial past predisposes it to support the underdog. in 1980, It was the first EU member state to endorse Palestinian statehood. Nonetheless, Ireland aims to align with the EU consensus, as highlighted by Niall Holohan, who served as Ireland’s representative to the Palestinian Authority from 2002 to 2006.
Israel has accused Dublin of supporting Hamas, the group whose attack on southern Israel on October 7 triggered the conflict. However, domestically, the Irish government has faced criticism for being too lenient on Israel. Opposition parties have called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and proposed legislation to prohibit Irish state investment in companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements. The government has resisted these measures.
Meanwhile, former allies of Sánchez in the far-left Podemos party have also strongly condemned Israel. They have accused Israel of planning a “genocide” against the Palestinian people and have called for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be brought before the International Criminal Court to face war crimes charges.
As European and international frustration mounts, some diplomats attribute the ongoing division within the bloc to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen’s, early and unconditional support for Israel. They argue that it would have been more appropriate if she had also emphasized Israel’s obligation to uphold human rights alongside endorsing its right to self-defense.
Now, six months later, many feel that waiting for a change in the current situation is no longer feasible. “If we rely on all 27 member states to recognize Palestine, we’ll be waiting indefinitely,” remarked one senior diplomat.
