Arab countries sign manifesto and urge Europe to mediate in the Hamas-Israel war
The plenipotentiary ambassador of Lebanon in the Spanish capital, Hala Keyrouz, has read a memorandum, at the headquarters of the Embassy of Palestine, signed by 19 diplomatic representations of the Arab countries of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania, Libya, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kuwait and Lebanon, calling on the international community to take responsibility to stop attacks on civilians in Gaza and to contribute to Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law. To restore the path to peace and find a just solution, Ambassador Hala Keyrouz insisted on the creation of appropriate conditions for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Likewise, in a forceful tone and addressing the press, the Palestinian ambassador to Spain, Hosni Abdel Wahed, called on the European Union to "measure with the same yardstick and act immediately, avoiding further bloodshed". In his own opinion, world leaders must have wisdom and sanity to overcome what we are experiencing today, because hatred generates even more hatred, unfolding a spiral of bloody violence.
Hosni Abdel Wahed stressed that Israel is committing war crimes in the face of the collective punishment of a population without water, fuel, electricity and food, and that the complicity of certain international actors, under the umbrella that Israel has the right to defend itself, is granting it a licence to kill. "A situation never seen before", he said in an obfuscated tone. So much so that he reiterated on several occasions that the visit of US President Joe Biden, described as "irresponsible", has only served to fan the flames of the conflict, which could well escalate throughout the region. "The US president's visit has served to strengthen Netanyahu's position".
Likewise, Palestine's top diplomatic representative in Spain has announced that the EU will be welcome to take the initiative in the face of the episode the Palestinian people are experiencing. The number of deaths since 7 October has risen to 3,780, of which 64% of the victims are children and women, according to the latest figures obtained. According to him, the European Union is already rectifying its positions, although "there are actors who are destabilising and feeding extremism on one side or the other, which will lead to an even worse situation".
Finally, he warned of the spread of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the West, which could become "an undesirable phenomenon", given that "what Israel implements, unbalances the world". He concluded his speech by reproaching that they do not feel protected by the EU or by international law, which is why he urged, once again, that the European Union should act with a single firm and forceful voice and a greater protagonism, thus adopting a political role and not just an economic one.
Carmen Chamorro, CIP/ACPE board member and graduate in International Relations from the SEI
