Recognising Palestinian statehood is an “essential” step for achieving peace in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday, with his government poised to formally take the step alongside Ireland and Norway. “Recognition of the state of Palestine is not only a matter of historic justice… is it also an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace,” he said in a brief address before meeting his cabinet, insisting it was “not against anyone, least of all Israel”. Israel has slammed the announced move as a “reward” for the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement tha…