The plenary session of Barcelona City Council approved this Friday an institutional declaration by which the council interrupts relations with the current government of Israel “until there is a definitive ceasefire and respect for the basic rights of the Palestinian people is guaranteed.” At the initiative of Barcelona en Comú (BComú), with the support of the government (PSC) and ERC and the opposition of JxCat, PP and Vox, the plenary session has urged this afternoon that Barcelona City Council interrupt institutional relations with the current government of Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
In February 2023, the then mayor Ada Colau decided to temporarily suspend relations with the State of Israel and the twinning with Tel-Aviv, but in September, in one of his first decisions as mayor, Jaume Collboni resumed them. Today’s declaration has a much more symbolic character than the one promoted by Colau at the time, since the Barcelona council does not maintain any formal relationship with the Government of Israel, while the twinning with Tel-Aviv implied collaborations of a practical nature between both. cities that were interrupted.
“Until there is a definitive ceasefire, and respect for the basic rights of the Palestinian people and compliance with United Nations resolutions regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine is not guaranteed, institutional relations with the current government of Israel are interrupted. “, includes the approved text.
The text requests that this interruption be maintained “until there is a definitive ceasefire, and respect for the basic rights of the Palestinian people and compliance with United Nations resolutions regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine are guaranteed.”
The approved declaration “rejects and condemns attacks against the civilian population, both Israeli and Palestinian, as well as any action constituting collective punishment, such as the forced displacement of the population, the systematic destruction of homes and civil infrastructure or the blockage of water supplies.” of energy, water, food, medical supplies and medicines to the population of the Gaza Strip. In addition, there have been demands that the recently agreed four-day ceasefire become a permanent and definitive ceasefire, as well as the cessation of violence against the Palestinian civilian population of the West Bank and the unconditional and safe release of the hostages taken. by Hamas.
Also, the establishment of humanitarian corridors that guarantee the Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip the arrival of sufficient fuel, food, water, medicine, medical supplies and equipment and the establishment of guarantees of return to the civilian population displaced by the offensive Israeli air and ground over the Gaza Strip. The city council affirms that “the occupation and colonization of the Palestinian territories” and the “denial of rights” to the Palestinians are the main obstacles to achieving a lasting peace.
