Israel bars Barcelona mayor over Gaza stance

Shafaq News – Barcelona / Ankara

Israel barred Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni from entering it Friday night, accusing him of “defaming” Tel Aviv, the Population and Immigration Authority announced.

Officials said his visa request was denied due to his participation in a boycott campaign. Earlier this year, Barcelona’s city council suspended ties with Tel Aviv-Jaffa, freezing cooperation until “Palestinian rights are respected” and “international law is upheld.”

Spain, alongside Ireland, has led criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, pressing the European Union to suspend its trade pact with Israel—a push Germany has repeatedly vetoed. In May 2024, Spain, Ireland, and Norway officially recognized a Palestinian state, while France and Saudi Arabia launched parallel diplomatic efforts to build broader international support.

Separately, Turkiye has expanded trade restrictions on Israel. Port officials told The Jerusalem Post that Turkish authorities now require shipping agents to provide written guarantees confirming vessels have no Israeli connections and are not carrying banned cargo such as weapons, explosives, or radioactive material.

Though not codified in a formal circular, the sources noted, the order is being enforced verbally by harbor masters nationwide. Ships arriving from or bound for Israel are reportedly barred from docking at Turkish ports, including the industrial hub of Kocaeli. Turkish-flagged vessels will also be prohibited from entering Israeli ports.

The measures escalate Ankara’s suspension of $7 billion in bilateral trade imposed last year over the Gaza war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, a NATO member, has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide against Palestinians,” a charge Israel rejects.