Spanish premier says Europe not doing enough to stop genocide in Palestine

OVIEDO, Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday accused Israel of committing genocide in Palestine and said Europe is not doing enough to try to stop it.

“No one that tramples on the EU’s founding principles – or that uses hunger and war to annihilate a legitimate state – can be a partner of the European Union,” he said.

Speaking before the Spanish parliament, Sanchez criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, saying its actions would be remembered “as one of the darkest episodes of the 21st century.”

“The horrifying images of children searching for their families under rubble, or dying of hunger in tents, should not only move us and shame us – they should compel the international community, and Europe in particular, to act,” he added.

He said Spain and Ireland first requested the EU to assess Israel’s compliance with the EU-Israel Association Agreement in February 2024.

“We had to push hard for that analysis to be carried out,” he added.

Sanchez said the EU’s special representative presented the report to foreign ministers on June 23, concluding that there were “more than sufficient indications” that Israel had violated Article 2 of the agreement, which links cooperation with respect for human rights.

While the EU has not taken any action against Israel, Sanchez said Spain is pushing for the immediate suspension of the agreement.

“What we denounce (Russian President Vladimir) Putin for doing in Ukraine, we cannot allow Netanyahu to do in Palestine,” he added. ​​​​​​​

Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 and destroyed the enclave, making it uninhabitable.