Oviedo (Spain): The Barcelona City Friday November 24, 2023 became the first European city to suspend relations with Israel over its aggression against the Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied territories.
The Barcelona City council approved a resolution suspending all relations with Israel until there is a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, categorically stating that the country “respects the basic rights of the Palestinian people”.
While initiating the resolution, former mayor Ada Colau referred to the desperate calls for help by the Palestinians and vowed that the people in Barcelona are with them.
“Every day, I force myself to watch the live images from Gaza of wounded and murdered little kids. There are a lot of innocent Palestinians who are looking straight at the camera."
"They call out to us, asking, ‘Don’t you see us?’ ‘Don’t you see us?’ This is what the defenceless civilian population of Palestine is calling out to us today”, she said while initiating the resolution in the Barcelona City Council.
“Well, today from Barcelona city council we say: Yes, we see you. We see you and we won’t remain silent”, she vowed.
"Barcelona suspends all relations with the Government of Israel. Human rights are defended by taking sides, not by turning a blind eye."Ada Colau's speech at Barcelona City Council. pic.twitter.com/UxOYlMHtCG— Barcelona En Comú (@bcnencomu) November 24, 2023
"Barcelona suspends all relations with the Government of Israel. Human rights are defended by taking sides, not by turning a blind eye."Ada Colau's speech at Barcelona City Council. pic.twitter.com/UxOYlMHtCG
Ada Colau also said that “human rights are defended by taking sides, not by turning a blind eye.”
“Not only will we not remain silent, but we take sides. We take a stand. Barcelona recovers its tradition of commitment to human rights, and today announces that it is suspending relations with the government of Israel”, she said.
“We take sides to defend the human rights of all people. People of Palestine, people of Israel and the people from the whole world”, she said.
The Barcelona City Council's decision to cut ties with Israel on a day when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on a visit to the Gaza Strip border Friday denounced the "indiscriminate killing of Palestinians".
Addressing the media at the Rafah crossing with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Sanchez also called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza "to reverse the catastrophic situation that the people of the Strip are going through."
Calling the 4-day ceasefire that came into effect Friday insufficient, the Spanish Prime Minister also said Spain will recognise the Palestinian State.
"We may take a unilateral decision on recognizing the Palestinian state if the European Union does not do so, and the current ceasefire in Gaza is insufficient”, he said.
Sanchez had in the last week inducted Sira Abd Rigo Al-Rifai or simply Sira Rego - an Arab woman of Palestinian descent, into his cabinet as a minister.
Responding to Sanchez’s comments, Israel summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium for “explanation”.
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