Parliamentary groups address a letter to Catalonia's minister to the Presidency demanding a veto of Israeli flags, and of Israeli and international businesses that supply Netanyahu's army or profit from apartheid
Esquerra Republicana, along with the left-wing Comuns and CUP parliamentary groups, have addressed a letter to the Catalan Ministry to the Presidency to express their profound concern about the complicit attitude of the Fira de Barcelona trade fair with companies and institutions that directly contribute to the occupation of Palestine and the apartheid against its people.
In the letter, the members of the Catalan Parliament denounce that during the last year, several events organized or hosted by the Fira de Barcelona have included the presence of Israeli and international businesses that provide technological and material support to the Israeli army. Among these are a number that have participated in the Mobile World Congress 2024, the Unvex 24 drone fair, Aviation Week 2024 and Smart City World Congress 2024. This is made especially serious in the current context, where the International Court of Justice has confirmed the investigation of Israel for crimes of genocide and has urged states to avoid any complicity with these acts.
Faced with this, Esquerra, Comuns and CUP demand that the Catalan Generalitat government, as a member of the Fira de Barcelona consortium, adopt specific measures to guarantee that this organization does not continue to serve as a platform for businesses involved in war crimes and human rights violations. In this regard, they demand:
- 1. Ban the presence of the Israeli national flag or of other states under investigation for genocide at any event hosted by Fira de Barcelona.
- 2. Prohibit the participation of Israeli and international companies whose products are used by the Israeli army.
- 3. Ban the presence of companies that operate in occupied Palestinian territory or profit from the occupation and apartheid.
- 4. Publicize the links of Fira de Barcelona with these companies, as well as their economic and investment relationships.
The parliamentary groups consider that the Catalan Generalitat government must assume its responsibilities to this regard and therefore urge it to adopt these measures as quickly as possible and comply with the legal and ethical obligations of the Catalan institutions to prevent Fira de Barcelona from contributing to the perpetuation of Israel's international impunity.