The mayor of the Brazilian city of Belem, Edmilson Rodrigues, on Tuesday, declared his city an “Apartheid Free Zone”, cutting ties with Israel.
His announcement coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, when Zionist militias expelled around 800,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands during the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Edmilson Rodrigues, condemned Israel’s expulsion of people from their ancestral territory and called it “true apartheid”.
“From then on it takes place, taking lives, affecting dignity, denying the right to self-determination and sovereignty of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Belem’s decision follows that of other major cities in Europe.
The Spanish mayor of Barcelona decided to suspend institutional relations with the Israeli regime and end the twinning with Tel Aviv.
The city council of Liege in Belgium also severed relations with Israel, while the city council of Oslo in Norway was excluded from public procurement companies that contribute directly or indirectly to the illegal Israeli settlement project.
