Overview

• In a campus address, the Spanish leader said there is a difference between defending a nation and killing 60,000 civilians, accusing Israel’s campaign in Gaza of starving children.
• He recognized Israel’s right to exist, condemned Hamas’s attacks, and demanded the immediate release of hostages.
• Sánchez urged recognition of a Palestinian state and criticized what he called a double standard compared with sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.
• Positioning himself against Trump on immigration, commerce and free expression, he cited Spain’s reception of two million immigrants and a roughly 40% drop in unemployment as evidence of a pragmatic model.
• The speech took place at tightly secured Columbia University, a focal point for pro-Palestinian protests, as Sánchez continued a New York agenda that includes meetings with major U.S. investors, participation in a UN conference on Palestine, and a session with Bill Gates.