Barcelona Cuts Ties With Israeli Government Over Gaza War
Barcelona’s city council voted Friday to sever official ties with the Israeli government and suspend its 1998 friendship agreement with Tel Aviv. The move comes during Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, which has drawn widespread international condemnation, including from the Spanish government.
The motion was backed by the governing Socialist party and supported by far-left and pro-independence factions. It calls for cutting all institutional relations with Israel “until respect for international law” and the “basic rights of the Palestinian people” are restored. The resolution also urges Fira de Barcelona, the city’s trade fair organizer, not to host Israeli government pavilions or companies involved in the arms industry or profiting from the conflict.
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“The suffering and death in Gaza over the past year and a half, and recent attacks by the Israeli government, make any relationship unviable,” said Barcelona’s Mayor Jaume Collboni during the session.
In 2023, then-Mayor Ada Colau similarly suspended ties with Israel, though Collboni later reversed that decision after defeating her in local elections.
While largely symbolic, the action by Spain’s second-largest city adds to mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza. In recent months, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly accused Israel of violating international law and using disproportionate force, warning that its military campaign risks destabilizing the region.
“A year after recognizing Palestine as a state, the pain in Gaza is unbearable. Spain will continue to raise its voice, stronger than ever, to end the massacre the world is witnessing today,” Sánchez posted on X earlier this week.
