During a visit to Madrid on Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed gratitude to Ireland, Norway, and Spain for acknowledging the state of Palestine, saying they were “on the right side of history”.
Israel has criticized the coordinated diplomatic action taken by the three western European nations on Tuesday. The governments feel that their initiative has significant symbolic value and could inspire other countries to take similar action.
“We are here to say thank you to Spain for giving hope in a very dark time”, Prince Faisal told reporters in Madrid, flanked by his peers from Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and the Palestinian authority before they held talks with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
“We are here to say thank you to Spain and to Norway and to Ireland and to Slovenia for taking the right decision, at the right time, for being on the right side of history, for being on the right side of justice,” he said.
This month, the government of Slovenia passed a proclamation recognizing the state of Palestine. The decree will be delivered to parliament on Thursday, and a vote is anticipated within the following few days.
The Arab ministers met with Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister, prior to their discussions with their Spanish counterpart.
According to Albares, Spain will keep pushing for additional European countries to acknowledge the state of Palestine and “to normalize relations between Arab countries and Israel.”
“And when the guns fall silent, when peace comes, it will be time to build a horizon of definitive peace,” he continued.
“Spain has a long tradition of friendship with the Arab world. Our historical, political and commercial ties, but above all our cultural and human ties, the ties between our peoples, have united us for centuries.
“And at this difficult time, our friendship and frank dialogue take on a special value and become a critical element in building bridges between Europe and the Arab world.”
