The politician had been congratulated by Hamas terrorists for cutting ties between the city and Israel
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, was prevented from entering Israel due to statements and antisemitic decisions.
Collboni was scheduled to land in Israel tonight as part of an official visit that included a stop at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum and memorial, as well as meetings with representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
However, at the last moment he was notified that the Population and Immigration Authority had decided to deny him entry.
The measure comes just three months after Barcelona City Council approved the suspension of its institutional ties with Israel and froze the sister city agreement with Tel Aviv, in protest against the war in Gaza. This measure was celebrated by Hamas terrorists.
Although the Israeli government did not issue an official statement explaining the decision, political sources indicated that the exclusion is in line with the policy of not allowing entry to foreign authorities who promote measures considered discriminatory or boycotts against the Jewish state.
The cancellation of the visit adds to the growing diplomatic tension between Israel and certain European political sectors, where local governments and social movements have intensified their criticism of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
In Israel, the decision was received as a sign of firmness in the face of boycott initiatives, while in Spain it could rekindle the internal debate regarding the Catalan city's stance on the conflict in the Middle East.
