Spain Urged to Play Role in Peace Process

Spain has an important role to play in the peace process between Arab states and Israel, wrote Asaad Abboud, editor-in-chief of the official al-Thawra newspaper in a September 10 editorial.



He said Spain should have been given a more important role in mediating peace between the two parties especially since its capital Madrid was chosen as the site of the first Arab-Israeli peace conference in 1991.



The comments of the Syrian columnist came two days after the visit of the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, to Damascus to discuss the situation in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.



Abboud accused Israel of refusing any Spanish or European role in peace. He said that Arabs have so far used Washington as a peace broker, betting on its capacity to push Israel to contract peace, and have kept Spain out of the process.



He added that Europeans and especially Spaniards, who will head the European Union in the near future, were needed to press the Americans to play “more active and serious roles” towards peace.