María Dolores Corujo: “Lanzarote cannot remain silent in the face of a massacre that shames humanity”
The Socialist Group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote has submitted a proposal for an institutional declaration aimed at urging the Island Corporation to express its strongest condemnation of the genocide occurring in Gaza, and to firmly support the measures put forward by the Spanish Government to mitigate this tragedy, alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, and hold those responsible accountable.
The Secretary General of the PSOE in Lanzarote and member of Congress, María Dolores Corujo, emphasised that what is happening in Gaza can no longer be considered a military operation in response. “We are not witnessing just another armed conflict, but an extermination operation in which hospitals are bombed, civilians are left to starve, and thousands of children are subjected to horror and malnutrition. Lanzarote cannot remain silent in the face of a massacre that shames humanity,” she asserted.
Corujo reminded that the Spanish Government has already made several decisive decisions in defence of the Palestinian people, ranging from the recognition of the State of Palestine to halting the sale of arms to Israel, condemning forced displacement, and increasing humanitarian aid. However, she highlighted that “in response to the passivity of the major powers and the blockage of the Security Council, our country has decided to take a further step and adopt new concrete, forceful, and courageous measures to halt the genocide and uphold international law.”
Among these measures, Corujo pointed out the approval of a Royal Decree-Law to solidify the arms embargo on Israel, which had been effectively in place since October 2023, as well as the prohibition of vessels carrying fuel for the Israeli Armed Forces from passing through Spanish ports. The measures also include denying access to Spanish airspace for aircraft transporting defence materials destined for Israel, and barring entry into Spanish territory for those directly involved in war crimes, human rights violations, or acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In this same vein, the Government has announced a ban on importing products from illegal settlements, both in Gaza and the West Bank, and has limited Spanish consular services in these settlements to the minimum legally required assistance. All of this is aimed at halting occupations, preventing the forced displacement of Palestinian populations, and defending the viability of a two-State solution.
Furthermore, the Spanish Government has reinforced its commitment to the Palestinian Authority through new collaboration projects in essential areas such as agriculture, medical assistance, and food security, and announced a significant increase in its contributions to UNRWA, the UN agency dedicated to assisting the Palestinian people, with an additional allocation of ten million euros. This is complemented by an expanded humanitarian aid and cooperation budget for Gaza, which will reach 150 million euros by 2026.
“We know that none of these decisions, on their own, will stop the invasion, but they can help alleviate some of the suffering of the civilian population, add international pressure on the Netanyahu government, and ensure that the Spanish people know they are on the right side of history,” stated Corujo.
The proposal to be debated in the upcoming Cabildo plenary also includes the condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas, support for the right of the Jewish people to have their own state and to live in security, and at the same time, a firm belief that this right cannot be used as a pretext to justify the mass murder of innocents and the systematic violation of international humanitarian law.
“Being consistent in defending human rights means condemning terrorism unambiguously, but also raising our voices when those claiming to combat it commit even more heinous crimes. What is happening in Gaza is not self-defence: it is extermination, it is impunity, and it is international complicity. That is why Spain is acting, and that is why Lanzarote must also take a stand,” concluded Corujo.
