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Barcelona’s city council voted on Friday to sever official ties with the Israeli government and suspend its long-standing friendship agreement with the city of Tel Aviv. The decision was prompted by concerns over violations of international law and the rights of Palestinians following the ongoing Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
The motion, backed by the ruling Socialist party along with far-left and pro-independence groups, demands a halt to all formal relations with Israel until respect is restored for international law and fundamental Palestinian rights.
In addition to suspending the 1998 friendship pact with Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Barcelona urged the organisers of Fira de Barcelona, the city’s trade fair, to avoid hosting Israeli government pavilions or companies involved in the arms trade or profiting from the Gaza conflict. A similar appeal was directed at the Port of Barcelona.
Mayor Jaume Collboni justified the move during the council session, saying: “The suffering and deaths in Gaza over the past year and a half, alongside recent Israeli attacks, make any relationship untenable.”
This is not the first occasion Barcelona has suspended ties with Israel. In 2023, former mayor Ada Colau initiated similar actions, which were later reversed when Collboni assumed office following local elections.
Although the decision has limited practical effects, it adds Spain’s second-largest city — a global tourist hotspot and home to one of the world’s most famous football clubs — to a growing chorus critical of Israel’s military bombardment in Gaza.
Barcelona’s move follows a coordinated recognition of Palestinian statehood last year by Spain, Ireland, and Norway, a decision that drew sharp condemnation from Israel.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remains one of the European Union’s most vocal critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
