UN General Assembly Sees Key European Countries Recognize Palestine

(MENAFN) Several European leaders publicly recognized Palestine as a state during a significant meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, calling the move a historic step toward ending the Gaza genocide and advancing the two-state solution.

The conference, known as the France and Saudi Arabia-led High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, gathered world leaders who advocated for urgent steps to bring an end to the Gaza war and to pave the way for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian war.

In his speech, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared, “We have to stop this slaughter now,” as airstrikes continue to devastate Gaza’s civilian population. He added, “There is no solution possible when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide.”

Sanchez further pushed for the immediate admission of Palestine as a full member state of the United Nations, stating that Spain would take action to stop the ongoing violence. “History will judge us, and its verdict will be brutal with those that perpetrated this slaughter and with those who remain silent or turned a blind eye,” he warned.

Echoing this sentiment, Ireland’s Prime Minister Michael Martin emphasized the urgency of a two-state solution, saying, “The only viable option to deliver a peaceful future for Israel and for Palestine is a two-state solution.” He condemned the suffering in Gaza as “an affront to the world,” noting, “We have reached a point where what has been credibly described as a genocide is being carried out in front of the eyes of the world.” Last year, Ireland joined Spain, Norway, and Slovenia in officially recognizing Palestine.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden also formally declared his country’s recognition of Palestine, framing it as “the beginning of a renewed commitment” to diplomacy, hope, and coexistence. Frieden emphasized that the decision was not meant “against Israel or its people” but rather to reignite prospects for peace grounded in international law and the UN Charter.

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