Barcelona City Council suspended cooperation with Tel Aviv. It criticizes violations of the Palestinians rights and calls for respect for international law by Israel.
On Friday, the city council of the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona approved a proposal to interrupt ties with the Israeli government and the suspension of a friendship agreement with Tel Aviv. MEPs justified their decision by violating international law and the rights of Palestinians by Israel, AFP reported, TASR writes.
The proposal, supported by the ruling Socialist Party, together with the extreme left -wing and left -wing supporters of Catalonia’s independence, also contains a call to end all official relations with Israel, “until it resumes respect for international law” and “fundamental rights of the Palestinian people”.
Access Agreement on Friendship
Barcelona suspends a friendship agreement concluded in 1998 with Tel Aviv-Jafo agglomeration. In addition, city parliamentarians called on Fira de Barcelona, not to open pavilions financed by the Israeli government or presentation stalls of companies involved in arms trafficking or benefiting from the Gaza Strip conflict. A similar recommendation was addressed by the council to the Barcelona port.
AFP recalled that this is not the first case when Barcelona interrupts her relations with Israel: even in 2023, the then Mayor Ada Colau has taken similar steps. Her successor, socialist Jaume Collboni, canceled this decision after his victory in the municipal elections.
Criticism of military operations
This decision of the Barcelona deputies has only a little practical impact. Barcelona as the second largest city in Spain, a popular tourist destination and houses of one of the most famous football clubs in the world, this is adding to the growing list of war critics that Israel leads in the Gaza Strip.
This step of Barcelona comes a year after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized the Palestinian state, for which Israel criticized them.
AFP added that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is one of the most open critics of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip within the EU.
