Barcelona mayor brands Israel apartheid state, cuts ties

By JENNIFER O’MAHONY and JOSEF FEDERMAN
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — The mayor of Barcelona has severed her city’s official ties with Israel, accusing the country of “the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Wednesday’s decision by Mayor Ada Colau has little practical impact – with the most concrete effect being a halt in Barcelona’s 25-year-old twinning agreement with Tel Aviv. But the announcement by the high-profile city carries significant symbolism and adds to a growing list of critics that have labeled Israel an apartheid state. Israel rejects such accusations as delegitimizing and antisemitic and called her decision “unfortunate.”