The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) was, until now, an intergovernmental organization that was born to promote stability and prosperity in the countries of the Mediterranean area.. Made up of 43 states, including the 27 of the European Union, countries from the Maghreb and the Middle East, it did not have a political purpose but has organized forums since 2008 to achieve joint improvement projects in the area..

Until now it was that, because on the occasion of the Spanish presidency of the European Union, Spain wanted to turn the next forum, which will be held next Monday in Barcelona, into a summit for peace between Israel and Palestine. And this has ended the cordiality of the Forum.

“Israel has no intention of participating in this meeting,” the Israeli Embassy in Brussels confirms to EL MUNDO. As they explain, “the decision to change the original agenda and focus solely on the current conflict was made without consulting Israel.”. “This undermines the purpose of the UfM and carries the risk of transforming it into another international forum in which Arab states attack Israel,” they justify.

The truth is that talking about the situation between Israel and Gaza is the purpose of the forum, as announced in the press call itself.. Thus, on Monday, in Barcelona, the foreign ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean region “will focus their debates on the critical situation in Israel, Gaza-Palestine and the consequences in the region. The Forum will provide the opportunity to debate the path forward to reach a solution,” they say.

In the publication they explain that the meeting would bring together representatives of all member states and would be co-chaired by Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union, and by Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan.

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, is the host of this meeting, which will also be attended by the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. , representing the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee.

Since the conflict between Israel and Gaza broke out, Spain has led the idea of holding a peace conference whose solution, they analyzed, involved the recognition of the existence of two States: Israel and Palestine.. This idea is the one that the European Union has aligned itself with, and about which the Arab League is already debating. However, he is against what Israel maintains, which believes that now is not the time to propose a peace conference, nor to move forward in any direction other than the one they are carrying out on the offensive against the strip.

Foreign Affairs did not want to talk about the presence or absence of Israel, which they themselves have confirmed.. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, Ryad al Maniki, will attend the meeting.