Barcelona Cuts Ties with Israeli Government and Ends Sister City Agreement with Tel Aviv

Barcelona  (Quds News Network)- Barcelona has officially cut institutional ties with the Israeli government. The city also ended its sister city agreement with Tel Aviv, citing violations of international law and Palestinian rights.

The Barcelona City Council approved the decision on Friday. The motion passed with support from the ruling Socialist party and leftist and pro-independence groups.

The resolution includes around 20 key points. Central among them is the suspension of all institutional relations with the current Israeli government.

Barcelona also canceled its 1998 friendship and cooperation agreement with Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The council said the suspension will last “until respect for international law and the basic rights of the Palestinian people is restored.”

Mayor Jaume Collboni said Gaza has endured unbearable suffering and death for nearly 18 months. He added that Israel’s recent military actions made continued relations “impossible.”

The approved text goes beyond symbolic gestures. It recommends that ‘Fira de Barcelona’, the city’s main trade fair institution, not host Israeli government booths. The ban would also apply to arms companies or others profiting from “genocide, occupation, apartheid, and colonization of the Palestinian people.”

The city also urged the Port of Barcelona to reject ships carrying weapons to Israel. In addition, the council called for a ban on municipal contractors doing business with companies that violate international humanitarian law.

This is not the first time Barcelona has taken a stand against the occupation state. In February 2023, former mayor Ada Colau suspended ties with Israel. That decision was later reversed when Collboni won the local elections.

Now, Collboni’s own government has taken a firmer step. The move aligns with Spain’s increasingly critical stance toward Israel and its genocide in Gaza under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. On May 28, 2024, Spain officially recognized the State of Palestine, along with Ireland and Norway.

Barcelona’s latest decision signals a growing push in European cities to hold Israel accountable for its genocide in Gaza. And it highlights the mounting political cost for those seen as enabling the suffering of Palestinians.