The Israeli authorities have denied entry to Tel Aviv to the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who was scheduled to fly to the Middle East this Friday at the invitation of the mayors of Ramallah, Issa Kassis, and Bethlehem, Maher Nicola Canawati. Although the request made by the Mayor and the rest of the delegation had initially been approved, the Israeli government revoked the mayor’s permit at the last minute without any justification—while maintaining the authorization for the rest of the delegation.

Collboni said on social media: “The Israeli government seeks to isolate the Palestinian people and hide from the world the constant violations of human rights they suffer. It is a direct attack on the freedom and diplomacy between cities that we defend. However, this veto only strengthens our determination. From Barcelona, we will continue working tirelessly for peace, justice, and the recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people. Their voice is also ours.”

The planned visit was in response to the invitation from the Palestinian mayors as a gesture of gratitude for Barcelona’s historic ties with the two Palestinian cities. It also sought to provide first-hand insight into the different cooperation projects supported by Barcelona City Council at a moment of heightened tension in the region.

The agenda included various meetings with authorities, businesses, and civil society. Among them, the Mayor was scheduled to meet with the mayors of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and in Jordan with the mayor of Amman, Youssef al-Shawarbeh. He was also scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa, as well as other government representatives.

Regarding NGOs, the Barcelona delegation planned meetings in Jerusalem with the organizations B’Tselem and Peace Now, and in Ramallah the mayor was to attend the inauguration of Barcelona Street, an initiative by the Palestinian city to thank Barcelona for its collaboration and solidarity with the Palestinian people. In addition, two floral offerings had been scheduled at the respective tombs of historic Israeli and Palestinian leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.

In terms of cooperation projects, Collboni was due to visit the new UNRWA camp in Amman to learn about its stock management and logistics system as well as the camp’s operations, including its health program.

Historically, Barcelona has carried out extensive direct technical cooperation with Gaza, through NGOs, and particularly via UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for providing health and education services to Palestinian refugees. Currently, a project is underway for the distribution of basic food products to which Barcelona has contributed €300,000. Moreover, in 2024 Barcelona doubled its ordinary annual contribution to the agency, raising it to €190,000.