The Spanish Break from The Wolf Pack Against Gazans?
The world often associates the two-state solution to the Oslo Peace Accord in 1993.
Yet this is but a part of the larger story of how the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was compelled by the circumstances of the time, invariably the end of the Cold War two years prior, to begin their peace negotiations with Israel in Madrid.
The Madrid Peace Process, which began soon after the “victory” of the US, in bombing Iraq “back to the stone age ” in 1991, by the likes of the then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of the Likud Party, albeit screaming and resisting the whole arrangement imposed by the Bush (I) Administration. Spain’s pugnacious behaviour served to underscore its importance to break free from the whole pack of other nations that has become slavishly subservient to their own national interest. This despite the overwhelming evidence that the war has had a deleterious effect on at least 1 million children out of 2.3 million population in Gaza, according the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF).
It was only after the failure of PLO and Israel that had failed to make any meaningful progress at all, that the Track 2 negotiation was furtively convened in Oslo, Norway.
This was done much to the chagrin by the likes of Professor Rashid Khalidi at Columbia University, a member of the negotiation team, who was secretly sidelined, who indeed had preferred an accountable and *transparent peace negotiation by both sides’ authority
In fact, it is not Spain alone that has observed and protested against Israel’s gross violations of the international humanitarian in abeyance but some 800 diplomats too.
While Spain deserves due plaudits, it is worth recalling that dissent over a policy that is overly dependent on catering to the whims of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel writ large had been simmering in late October 2023 too.
Some were US diplomats and political appointees in the US State Department and development aid agencies. This also applies to the British diplomats.
Yet just as their opposition could not achieve a seismic breakthrough to compel the US and Israel to change course, it has been Spain not least that has proven to be an exception to the rule.
Come what may, Spain’s dissent in particular should not be easily dismissed as an important peace convener in future. Due to its legacy against the Fascist regime of General Franco, which ruled Spain with an iron hand from 1937 to 1974, any leader in Madrid is constantly looking for ways to pre-empt other countries from having the same Fascist tendency.
Such are the unbearable circumstances with which the Gaza Strip and the West Bank had hitherto been ruled by Israel with an iron fist. The policy persists.
Indeed, in terms of its weightage placed on Israel and PLO to make peace, Spain is an outlier that cannot be completely ruled out to facilitate a peace process again.
If anything, Spain had once jointly proposed the “Alliance of Civilizations,” with the United Nations (UN) in 2005, backed as it was by Turkey.
At any rate, following the provisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague on the “genocidal acts,’ that had been perpetrated by Israel on the Gaza Strip, it is clear that Tel Aviv has lost on retrains. How?
Despite the ICJ decision, which could not be read in any other way, except the fact that Israel must stop all acts that go against the grains of the Geneva Convention of 1949, on January 27th 2024—-a day after the ruling—-250 Gazans were immediately killed. This was the highest death toll of the whole military campaign against the Gazans so far.
Indeed, Craig Murray, a former British Ambassador who had turned into a Human Rights activist, noted that in any military campaign, the casualties would not be climbing up so steadily since there is usually some balance of forces to allow both or more sides to battle it out.
With the war against the Gazans, the number of the maimed and the murdered is undoubtedly trending upward to 27,000 casualties with another 10,000 buried in the rubble of the bombed buildings, all unaccounted for.
To be sure, while the ICJ verdict stopped short of calling for a permanent and complete ceasefire, from January 26th 2024 immediately, it was once against Israel that had thrown the proverbial monkey wrench in the whole UN process.
Instead of obliging itself to the legally binding resolution, Israel came out swinging by accusing the United Nations’ Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of having at least seven insurgents under UNRWA’s command; that had participated in the deadly breach of the October 7th invasion against Israel.
Almost instantly, if not conveniently, the United States (US), along with other countries – the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan—30,000 workers had to be immediately suspended.
A report from Al Jazeera in January or February 2024 further stated that the US is the largest donor of UNRWA, with contributions amounting to nearly USD $350 million, while the EU, was the third largest donor with USD $114.2 million.
Nonetheless, whatever the reasons may be justified by these nations, the global community by their stance are simply enablers of genocide since 1948.
Spain’s decision in refusing to sever all humanitarian aid to the Gazans is commendable as well as countries like Ireland and Scotland who have always been providing significant support to the Palestinians for many decades now.
On the 118th day of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Jose Manuel Albares, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Spain is not only refusing to stop all forms of aid to UNRWA and Gaza, but they have also made the decision to triple financial commitment to the Palestinians.
This is, indeed, a remarkable feat coming from a prominent European nation like Spain.
Despite being among the few European nations to continue funding to ease the Palestinian’s plight, it should be further noted that Spain does not simply jump on the bandwagon of the Pro-Palestinian campaign.
Spain and Palestine have a long-standing relationship that has historical and political significance. The two countries have had interactions that have shaped their diplomatic ties and international relations. Spain’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War attracted Jewish volunteers from Palestine, reflecting a historical connection between the two regions.
Spain’s stance on international recognition and support for Palestinian statehood has been evident in the United Nations General Assembly, where Spain has shown significant support for Palestinian statehood.
As the world tries to grapple with the negative implications of the ongoing crisis affecting Gazans , indeed, the maritime trade that goes through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, with the US launching even more attacks against the resistance groups in Iraq and Syria on February 3rd 2024 – short of direct bombardment of Iran in retaliations for the loss of 3 US Servicemen in Jordan last week.
The risks posed by the downward spiral of events in the Middle East and Persia are not a welcoming sign.
This is all the more valid when the likes of East Asia has to lean on a powerful US economy that has registered a Gross Domestic Production (GDP) growth of 3.3 percent in 2023.
For what it is worth, Spain should be acknowledged as an epitome of championing human rights to so-called powerhouse ‘Western’ nations like the United States.
This article was jointly by Dr Phar Kim Beng, Maszsyuhada Maszri and Dr Abdul Latif Ibrahim. They are researcher at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies.