Barcelona to advocate for recognition of Palestinian statehood

An institutional declaration urging the international community to recognize Palestine as an independent state will be debated by the Barcelona City Council next week. 

The text, agreed upon by the governing Socialists, the left-wing Barcelona en Comú and the pro-independence Esquerra, proposes to "support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state" and to hold an international peace conference. 

The statement also urges respect for international law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, and "compliance" with United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. 

"Barcelona has a responsibility to contribute to the achievement of a just and lasting peace on the other side of the Mediterranean," said Deputy Mayor Maria Eugènia Gay in a post on X. "And this includes the two-state solution," she added.   

The Socialists wanted to approve the text in the Presidency Committee on Wednesday, but pro-independence Junts, conservative People's Party and far-right Vox opposed it. Now the Socialists will present it in plenary next week, where it is likely to be approved. 

This is not the first time that the Barcelona City Council has taken a stand on the tensions in the Middle East. Last February, when Ada Colau was mayor, the council cut ties with Israel and Tel Aviv.  

When Jaume Collboni took office in June, relations were resumed, only to be suspended again in response to the invasion of Gaza, although ties with the Mediterranean city were maintained. 

Spain leads EU push to recognize Palestine 

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez has been leading the European push to recognize Palestine. As a long-time supporter of Palestinian rights and the two-state solution, Sánchez has rallied support and persuaded European leaders to recognize the Palestinian state. 

In recent weeks, Sánchez has made several official trips and met with his counterparts in several European countries, including Poland, Norway, Ireland and Portugal, to gain their support for this initiative. 

One of the latest countries to join Sánchez's crusade is Ireland. Its prime minister, Simon Harris, agreed last week to move closer to recognizing the Palestinian state.

"We are prepared to recognize the state of Palestine; we will do so at the appropriate time, and we believe that time is approaching," he said at a press conference with Sánchez in Dublin.