Israeli authorities deny entry to Palestine to Mayor Jaume Collboni
22/08/2025 | Imprimeix
Temps estimat de lectura: 2 minuts
- The mayor was flying this Friday to the Middle East to begin an institutional visit, invited by the mayors of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
- The visa, initially approved, was denied at the last minute without any explanation from the authorities in Tel Aviv.
- The purpose of the mission was to strengthen cooperation with Palestinian cities and the role of cities as agents of peace.
- It also included a floral offering at the graves of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and former Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, as well as meetings with the NGOs B’Tselem and Peace Now.
- The trip also included a stop in Jordan to learn on the ground about cooperation projects carried out by UNRWA with the collaboration of Barcelona City Council.
Israeli authorities have denied entry into Tel Aviv to the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who was scheduled to fly to the Middle East this Friday, invited by the mayors of Bethlehem and Ramallah. Although the request of the mayor and the rest of the delegation had initially been approved, the Israeli government denied the mayor’s permit at the last minute and without justification, though not that of the rest of the delegation.
The planned visit was in response to the invitation extended by the Palestinian mayors as a gesture of gratitude for Barcelona’s historic ties with both Palestinian cities, and also aimed to showcase on the ground the different cooperation projects developed with the support of the City Council, at a time of heightened tension in the region.
Thus, the planned agenda included various contacts with authorities, businesses, and civil society. Among others, the mayor had scheduled meetings with the mayors of Bethlehem, Maher Nicola Canawati; Ramallah, Issa Kassis; and in Jordan with the mayor of Amman, Youssef al-Shawarbeh. Also with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa, as well as other government representatives.
Regarding NGOs, the Barcelona delegation also planned meetings in Jerusalem with the organizations B’Tselem and Peace Now and, in Ramallah, the mayor was to participate in the inauguration of Barcelona Street, a gesture with which the Palestinian city seeks to thank Barcelona’s collaboration and solidarity with the Palestinian people. In addition, two floral tributes were scheduled at the respective graves of historic Israeli and Palestinian leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.
In the field of cooperation, Collboni planned to visit the new UNRWA camp in Amman to learn about its stock management and logistics system of the United Nations agency, as well as the operation of the camp and its health program.
Within this framework, Barcelona has historically carried out intensive direct technical cooperation with Gaza, through NGOs, and especially through UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for providing health and education services to Palestinian refugees. Currently, the project for the distribution of basic food products is underway, to which Barcelona has contributed €300,000. In addition, in 2024 Barcelona doubled its ordinary financial contribution to this organization, reaching €190,000 annually.
