Two Continents, One Cause: Saudi Arabia & Spain Champion Palestinian Statehood

For decades, the Palestinian cause has remained an anchor of Arab diplomacy, driving countless initiatives aimed at securing a just resolution. Yet today, it has found a bold European advocate in Spain, which has led the charge across the West to defend Palestinian rights.

Madrid’s stance closely aligns with Riyadh, as both Saudi Arabia and Spain champion an independent Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as the only viable path to lasting peace.

Historical Foundations

The Big Picture: While the majority of Western countries view Palestinian statehood as the outcome of a long negotiation process with the occupying power, Saudi Arabia and Spain reject that notion, affirming that the recognition of Palestine is the prerequisite for equal negotiations and the practical path towards the two-state solution.

Backstory: In 1991, Spain hosted the Madrid Peace Conference, marking the first time the Arab delegates sat with the Israelis at a conference table for direct negotiations since the Geneva Conference in December 1973. The conference aimed to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting Arab-Israeli peace based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. While it yielded no immediate outcomes, it paved the way for the Oslo Accords in 1993.

The Pivot: In 2002, Saudi Arabia launched the Arab Peace Initiative, which called for the normalization of relations between Arab states and Israel in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and a just solution for the Palestinian refugee issue. The initiative was endorsed by the Arab League and the Palestinian Authority and is viewed as the cornerstone for peace efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A Shared Diplomatic Vision

Between the Lines: Spain has strongly opposed Israel’s war on Gaza, which erupted in October 2023 and has caused a dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip. Madrid has taken bold measures to pressure Israel to end the war, including enacting legislation prohibiting military equipment trade and banning the use of Spanish ports and airspace for weapons transport to the Israeli military. Spain also joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in June 2024.

State of Play: Riyadh has launched an extensive diplomatic push to drive official recognition of Palestinian statehood. In May 2024, Spain broke ranks with major Western powers, formally recognizing the State of Palestine, alongside Norway and Ireland, in a historic decision by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

What He Said: “Recognition of the State of Palestine is an urgent necessity if we are all to achieve peace….The State of Palestine must first and foremost be viable, with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as its capital, and unified under the legitimate rule of the Palestinian National Authority,” Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister, said.

Practical Measures

The Context: In mid-September 2024, Madrid hosted the meeting of the representatives of the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Contact Group and the Foreign Ministers and Representatives of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain. In a joint statement, the group reaffirmed a shared commitment to the implementation of the two-State solution, as the only way to establish lasting peace and security.

Building on that momentum, Saudi Arabia launched the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, alongside Norway and the European Union (EU), in the same month to chart an irreversible, time-bound path to an independent, sovereign State of Palestine.

The Impact: In 2025, Saudi Arabia co-chaired the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine alongside France, culminating in the landmark New York Declaration and triggering a wave of official recognitions by major Western nations including France, the UK, Portugal, and Canada.

Viewing the conference as a crucial platform to push forward a just and definitive resolution to the Middle East conflict, Spain played a key role in the conference’s working groups, co-chairing the group on the political implementation of the two-State solution alongside Jordan.

What to Watch: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares have been the driving force behind the Riyadh-Madrid alignment on Palestinian statehood.

Looking Ahead: By March 2026, Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel, further solidifying its stance. In mid-May 2026, Saudi Arabia and Spain consolidated their collaboration by launching the Saudi-Spanish Strategic Partnership Council. The foreign ministers of both countries reiterated a shared commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution.

Support in Action

The Saudi and Spanish support for Palestinians extends beyond rhetoric into concrete humanitarian action. This has been most evident in Riyadh and Madrid’s aid to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

By the Numbers:

Saudi Arabia:

• $835 million: Total aid in development and humanitarian assistance through UNRWA.
• $13.9 million: Saudi Fund for Development’s contribution to support UNRWA’s education, healthcare, and relief programs.
• $20 million: Saudi UNRWA-implemented projects currently underway across Gaza, Syria, and Jordan to meet the mounting needs of Palestinian refugees.

Spain:

• $175 million: Total committed assistance through 2026.
• $25.7 million: Emergency funds released in early 2024.
• $14.7 million: Core annual bilateral allocation via the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
• $10.9 million: Mid-year supplementary top-up by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
• $1.1 million: Targeted grant for West Bank healthcare and rehabilitation.