Spanish Foreign Minister María Aránzazu González Laya argued that Spain does not have the authority to list and outlaw terrorist groups, as it must be done through the EU.
By LAHAV HARKOVForeign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi meets with Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya, December 9, 2020. (photo credit: FOREIGN MINISTRY)
Madrid does not plan to ban Hezbollah in its entirety, in keeping with EU policy, Spanish Foreign Minister María Aránzazu González Laya said during a press conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday.“We supported Hezbollah, as a military organization, being outlawed in the EU,” Laya said when asked whether her country would join the growing number of EU member states banning the Lebanese terrorist group. “The EU does not outlaw the political wing of Hezbollah, which is why it is not outlawed in Spain.”Laya argued that Spain does not have the authority to list and outlaw terrorist groups, which must be done through the EU. However, several EU member states, including Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia and Slovenia, have banned Hezbollah in its entirety, rather than follow Brussels’ policy.Still, Laya said, “Spain is extremely cautious and careful in making sure that terrorist organizations of any sort…are not active in the country. We are a country that has suffered enormously from terrorism, both internal and international. We therefore know how important it is to defend ourselves with all means against terrorism.”Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi had asked Spain to outlaw Hezbollah earlier in the press conference. He also thanked Spain for changing its vote from support of a recent resolution against Israel in the UN Human Rights Council to an abstention, following a conversation he had with Laya.Ashkenazi praised Spain’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, saying that it is “an important decision against the BDS movement”. He said he was glad to hear from Laya that such boycotts are illegal in Spain.According to the Spanish pro-Israel organization ACOM, over 100 municipalities and provincial governments have declared boycotts against Israel, not just against the state but also against pro-Israel individuals. Spanish courts have struck down 75 such boycotts thus far.“We take the fight against antisemitism seriously,” Laya said, “which is why this year, we decided to adopt the IHRA definition.”Laya and Ashkenazi also highlighted centuries of Jewish history in Spain. Ashkenazi’s father, who was born in Bulgaria, traces his roots to Spain, he said. Laya said Spain and Israel plan to launch a joint academy to teach the Judeo-Spanish language Ladino, “ensuring past heritage is also passed on to future generations.”Ashkenazi said the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan is an “opportunity to change the Middle East forever…[and] for more countries to join the circle of peace.”
The foreign minister called on the Palestinians “to take advantage of this historic opportunity and return to negotiations with no preconditions.“We need a direct dialogue between us,” he said, later adding: “I don’t see how not talking serves [the Palestinians’] interests.”Ashkenazi asked Laya, who plans to visit Ramallah on Thursday afternoon, “to persuade them to return to the table and negotiate directly with Israel. This is the only way to reach a real solution and end the conflict between us.”“What we are doing with the Abraham Accords is not at the expense of the conflict we have to solve with the Palestinians,” he stated.Laya said she is “going to Palestine, to Ramallah, with the same message I give here. Spain believes in the need to give impetus to negotiations…for a solution built around two states living side-by-side in peace and security.”“Israel and Palestine can count on Spain to be an active promoter of peace,” she said.Ashkenazi also expressed his personal fondness for Spain, welcoming Laya with a couple of sentences in Spanish. Laya said Ashkenazi has an open invitation to Madrid. He revealed his familiarity with bars, restaurants and theaters in Spain’s capital that she had never been to and she hoped they can “harvest” that knowledge when he visits.
