Spanish FM opposes ‘unilateral steps’

Spanish Foreign Minister José Garcia Mallargo meets with President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, and the two discuss the Palestinian statehood UN Security Council bid. Mallargo says Spain — which as of January 2015 is a member of the Security Council — is against “unilateral steps on both sides” and urges peace talks.

“There is no doubt that the issue of the recognition a Palestinian state will return in the future,” he says. “We believe that unilateral steps will not lead to an end of the conflict, but that negotiations, with the support of the international community, are the only way forward. We have asked both sides to avoid unilateral steps.”

Rivlin says: “We greatly appreciate the efforts of Spain to restart the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Spain is an important friend, and just as between friends, even when there are differences of opinion, our friendship remains.”