The interruption of its institutional relations with the Israeli government and the friendship agreement with its city was voted today by its municipality, “until respect for international law and its fundamental rights”.
This decision was approved by the Municipal Council, with the support of the ruling Socialist Party and Radical Leftist and Friendly Parties.
The text approved by the Barcelona Municipal Council contains about 20 points, including the interruption of institutional relations with the “current government of Israel”.
It also suspends the “Friendship Agreement” of 24 September 1998, between the Catalan capital and Tel Aviv-Yafa, “until the respect for international law and international humanitarian law is restored and until the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people are secured.” “The level of suffering and deaths experienced by Gaza for the last one and a half years, as well as the repeated attacks of the Israeli government in recent weeks (…) make any relationship unsustainable” between the two cities, the Socialist mayor of Barceloni explained.
A block is examined at the famous Barcelona exhibition and in its international port
Among the other measures of the Municipal Authority of the Spanish city, some of which do not fall under the municipal jurisdiction, is a request to the Board of Directors of the Barcelona report not to host Israeli government kiosks or “weapons companies or any other sector, Palestinian territories.
A similar recommendation is examined for the port of Barcelona, so as not to accept ships involved in weapons transport to Israel.
The previous time
This is not the first time Barcelona has suspended its relations with the Benjamin Netanyahu government. In February 2023, the former mayor, activist Ada Kolau, decided to “temporarily suspend” her relations with Israel, as well as the twinning agreements with the Municipality of Tel Aviv.
That decision, which had been criticized, was suspended a few months later, when the coltop won the municipal elections.
The Spanish government of Socialist Pedro Sanchez recognized the state of Palestine on May 28, 2024, jointly with Ireland and Norway. In recent months, Madrid has become one of the most critical voices within the European Union against the Netanyahu government.
