Actors Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Viggo Mortensen and Alia Shawkat signed a statement expressing support for Barcelona’s mayor after she severed the city’s ties with Israel.
Last week Mayor Ada Colau sent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a letter announcing that the city would be ending its relationship with the country over its treatment of Palestinians. Barcelona and Tel Aviv have been twinned for 25 years.
“I have decided to temporarily suspend relations with the state of Israel and with the official institutions of that state -including the twinning agreements with the Tel Aviv City Council – until the Israeli authorities put an end to the system of violations of the Palestinian people and fully comply with the obligations imposed on them by international law and the various United Nations resolutions. We cannot be silent,” wrote Colau.
The statement of support for Colau’s decision has been signed by more than 50 public figures. In addition to the aforementioned actors, signatories include Arundhati Roy, Naomi Klein, Angela Davis, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Marianne Faithful, Judith Butler, Ken Loach, Annie Ernaux, and Hanan Ashrawi.
“We, the undersigned, oppose racism in all its forms and uphold the principles of justice and human rights in a holistic way that includes Palestinians. We are morally outraged that powerful governments react to Israel’s grave violations of Palestinian rights under international law with empty gestures and expressions of ‘concern,’ while simultaneously arming, funding and shielding from accountability Israel’s decades-old system of injustice and continuing business as usual with it,” it reads.
Colau decision has been praised by human rights groups and Palestine activists across social media. “It’s so promising to see the mayor of Barcelona, among other leaders taking a real stand against #IsraeliApartheid,” tweeted the organization American Muslims for Palestine. “The US is becoming more isolated in its loyalty to Israel with every day that passes.”
“It only takes ‘one’ courageous principled person/people, to start correcting a path of injustice & make history,” wrote UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. “Upholding int’l human rights law can never be a wrong choice.”
Pro-Israel groups and lawmakers are predictably upset over the move. “The decision gives support to extremists, terrorist organizations and antisemitism,” said Israel’s Foreign Ministry. “The friendship between Israel and Barcelona is long-standing, and is based on shared culture and values. Even this unfortunate decision will not damage this friendship.”
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida denounced Colau’s actions and offered to twin his own city with Tel Aviv. “I do not know the reasons why we were not twinned but I think this is a great opportunity to show Tel Aviv and, by extension, the entire State of Israel that Madrid is clear about where it has to be; that Madrid is clear on the right side,” he said in a video posted to Twitter. “Madrid is clear that we have to strengthen our relations with a democracy, a State governed by the rule of law like Israel.”
Local Spanish elections will be held later this month.
A small step, but a great example by the Mayor of Barcelona. If only the rest of the world can get the courage to do the same. BDS- there is no other way to send a strong message to the apartheid nation. The zionists only get hurt when it is a major financial hit, it is something they cannot handle.
It is good to see these celebrities being engaged in supporting Palestinian rights and doing their bit.
Most probably there are others who feel like them, but are too scared to make it known.
Biden withdraws nominee who criticized Israel and those pro Israel congress leaders.
“PresidentBiden on Tuesday dismissed the Ivy League law professor put forth as a candidate for an international human rights organization over comments that appeared to invoke antisemitic tropes in criticizing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that the administration was not previously aware of the comments made by James Cavallaro accusing Jeffries of being “Bought. Purchased. Controlled” by pro-Israel lobbying groups.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3858033-biden-withdraws-nominee-who-said-dem-leader-was-bought-by-pro-israel-groups/
Stay tuned for a retraction from Ruffalo. . . .
Imagine the flow from Israeli citizens advancing a determined, disciplined campaign for civil and political equality.
Now we wait for the inevitable child like insults , ie Susan Sarandon is 2nd rate actress .
As if to claim that only those who support the Criminal Apartheid Rogue entity are endowed with great acting ability.