Spanish PM seeks full UN membership for Palestine, slams Gaza war: ‘In the name of human dignity, we must stop this slaughter’

Pedro Sánchez, one of the first European leaders to take the step of recognizing Palestine in May 2024, has welcomed the fact that key countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have joined him in this position. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron formally took the step at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, stating that “recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in no way detracts from the rights of the Israeli people, which France has supported from day one and to which it is no less committed.” Other nations to express support included Monaco, Malta and Luxembourg.

For the Spanish leader, this step, which took place in the most symbolic location possible, the UN General Assembly hall, must be followed by another one: for Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations, an initiative that is backed by 156 of the 193 UN members, with the United States standing out as one of the main opponents. Sánchez said that the process “must be completed as soon as possible, on an equal footing with other states. This conference marks a milestone, but it’s not the end of the road. It’s only the beginning.”

Sánchez, of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), used particularly strong words against Israel’s actions in Gaza. “The Palestinian people are being annihilated,” he said, encapsulating the atmosphere of fierce criticism of Israel from the 40 countries that took part in a summit on a two-state solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

“In the name of reason. In the name of international law, which has its temple in this house. But above all, in the name of human dignity, we must stop this slaughter now. The bombs continue to fall and hunger is killing women and children,” he said.

“Today we are taking a crucial step, it is true, by advocating the two-state solution at this Conference. But let us be clear: there can be no solution when the population of one of those states is the victim of genocide,” he added.

Earlier that day, Sánchez had spoken at an event at Columbia University, which was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests last year and has since become a prime target of Donald Trump’s policy of coercion. The Spanish leader discussed immigration, Gaza, and freedom of expression before some 400 students gathered for the World Leaders Forum.

Without naming Donald Trump expressly, Sánchez talked about the crackdown on freedom of speech. “When the voice of a society is silenced, it ends up dying. Freedom of expression, of faith, the right to participate in public life, empowers citizens. They are safeguards against tyranny. We must protect these freedoms and prevent them from being used to incite hatred,” said Sánchez.

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