Felipe VI at the UN: He avoids the term "genocide" and condemns Netanyahu's "massacre" in Gaza.

WashingtonNine years after his speech at the UN in 2016, Felipe VI has once again addressed the United Nations General Assembly and has done so with a strong condemnation of the Gaza war, although he has avoided using the term genocide. From the lectern, he called on Israel to "Stop this aberrant massacre." The Spanish king emphasized that the scenes of hunger and death emerging from the Strip "are the antithesis of everything this forum represents" and that they "repugnate the human conscience and shame the international community."

Just as he called on Tel Aviv to end the massacre, he also condemned the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and recognized "Israel's right to defend itself." "But with the same forcefulness, I ask that international law be applied to Gaza and the West Bank," he emphasized. He also called for a ceasefire "with guarantees," for humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach the Gazans, and for "the release of all hostages." Felipe VI once again called for "a viable solution that includes the existence of both states."

The big question mark surrounding the King's address to the United Nations General Assembly was the language he would use to discuss the Gaza war. From Egypt, Felipe VI had already been blunt last week regarding the massacre suffered by the Palestinian people, although he avoided using the word genocideA term that Spanish President Pedro Sánchez and all the ministers in his government do use. Felipe VI has condemned the violence in Gaza and defended the creation of a "viable Palestinian state." Thus, he demanded that Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem be included and that it "coexist in peace and security with Israel." Aside from the war in Gaza, Felipe VI also condemned the war in Ukraine, recalling that it is an "aggression" by Russia that Ukraine did not provoke.

The king's speech, which had been discussed with the Spanish government at the Zarzuela Palace, was also heard on this side of the Atlantic, where the terminology used to refer to war has become a central topic of political debate in Congress. Political and public pressure in the face of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine has already led Alberto Núñez Feijóo's People's Party (PP) to now express its willingness to support the recognition of Palestine as long as Hamas is not included in the equation.

Defense of multilateralism

In contrast to the contempt displayed by Donald Trump yesterday, Felipe VI asserted the value of multilateralism and cooperation: "The United Nations not only remains useful, it is indispensable, it is irreplaceable." In an exercise of memory, the Spanish king invoked the "dark chapters of history" of the 20th century to recall the very reason the United Nations was created: "to prevent future generations from the scourge of war."

The official version of the king's intervention in the General Assembly instead of Sánchez responds to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the UN, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Spain's entry into this international organization. Even so, it cannot be overlooked that relations between Madrid and Washington are not at their best. At the NATO summit, Sánchez was the only leader who refused to comply with the new 5% defense spending target imposed by Donald Trump. The PSOE leader signed the agreement but said Spain would only allocate 2.1% of its GDP to that end, angering Trump, who threatened trade retaliation.