Twin all municipalities with Gaza

Municipalities, local entities, are the administrative and political areas closest to the people, and it is through these areas that citizens can participate most directly in a variety of issues. Catalan municipalities have long had a tradition of twinning with other cities, whether in Catalonia, Spain, Europe, or southern European countries. In the latter cases, it involves establishing cooperation programs in various areas; it depends on the size of the municipality and the budget it can allocate. It's a very interesting experience because it allows for establishing links with cities in impoverished areas, at war, or in political transition, which always need external support.

This week, Barcelona City Council relaunched District 11, now focusing on Palestine, as it had previously done with Sarajevo. It's a very timely and appropriate initiative, and it demonstrates the population's sensitivity to what is happening in Gaza. What I want to propose here is that all municipalities in Catalonia establish a twinning agreement with Gaza, and that they extend this initiative to the rest of the municipalities throughout Spain with which they have relations, so that thousands of municipalities do the same.

Twinning agreements between municipalities are institutional and symbolic agreements that seek to foster cooperation and cultural, educational, economic, or social exchange with municipalities in other countries. Although there is no specific law exhaustively regulating twinning agreements, they fall within the municipal powers regarding international cooperation and local foreign relations. Twinning agreements may arise from a proposal by the mayor or the municipal government team, a motion presented by a political group, or even a proposal from local associations (cultural, educational, migrant, etc.) interested in strengthening ties. The agreement must be approved by the plenary session of the city council in question, as it represents an institutional commitment.

Once approved by the plenary session, a twinning protocol or twinning charter is drawn up, which outlines the objectives and commitments. When possible, this document is usually signed in an official ceremony with representatives of both municipalities, something that is currently very difficult in Gaza because of the lack of entry and exit. However, it can still be done and made public. The agreement must be communicated to the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia, the Catalan Association of Municipalities and Counties, the corresponding Provincial Council, the Generalitat, and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), which keeps a registry of twinning agreements and can provide technical and financial support. It is also advisable to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation in Madrid. After the signing, a twinning committee is often created within the city council or with citizen participation, responsible for programming activities, which in the case of Gaza should be awareness-raising, until humanitarian aid can be safely delivered. I think it would be equally appropriate for the resolution to include a call for Hamas to dissolve itself as an armed group.

These resolutions of twinning with Gaza should also be sent to the Israeli Embassy in Spain and to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the attention of Mr. Gideon Sa'ar, the minister. The goal is precisely to flood the offices of the embassy and this ministry with thousands of resolutions of twinning with Gaza, so that they see the support coming from all over the world, including small municipalities. Due to the current situation, in which Gaza no longer has infrastructure, these twinning agreements are symbolic in nature, but they have enormous political power. Furthermore, they can be the excuse to motivate conversations, conferences, radio programs, press releases, and anything else that serves to keep people better informed about what is happening and, above all, why it is happening.