Navarra will review whether it maintains commercial agreements with companies linked to the Netanyahu government | Spain

The president of the Government of Navarra, María Chivitehe has ordered the different departments of its executive « to review what kind of agreements we can have with companies linked to the Israeli government » to be able to « make an assessment and take the following steps. » The announcement is given a day after the Navarro Institute of Sports and Physical Activity (INDAF) has asked the European Baseball and Softball Federation that Israel does not participate in the XVIII European Women’s Suffault Championship U-18 to be held this July in Navarra. The petition has the support of the City Council of Pamplona —principal headquarters of the tournament together with the bordering municipality of Burlada – that has advanced that, if the Israeli team participates, it will not collaborate with the organization of the competition.

Chivite has denounced “the genocide that is being committed in The Gaza Strip « . A situation that « is not new, » has recognized, but has been « clearly aggravated. » Therefore, he emphasizes, his government « is not going to look the other way. » Thus, on the one hand, they will review the commercial contracts of the Foral Executive with companies linked to Israel. In the event that they exist, they will study the possibility of suppressing them: « We have to see what we have and value it to proceed. » « We understand that we have to implement these pressure measures within the possible framework and our competences, » he added.

On the other hand, the Foral Government on Thursday transferred to the European Baseball and Softball Federation (EB&S) its rejection that Israel participates in the eighteenth European Women’s Suffball Championship U-18, whose celebration is scheduled between July 20 and 26 in the Foral Community. He did it at one of the preparatory meetings, in which the European and Spanish Federations and the Superior Sports Council were also present. The managing director of INDAF, Jorge Aguirre, has expressed in being Navarra that « sport cannot be an agent outside what is happening in Israel and Gaza. We understand that, when we talk about sport values, respect for human rights also has to be present. » Therefore, they have raised two alternatives to the organization: « The first is that Israel does not compete in this European. And, in any case, if athletes come to compete to Navarra, to do so with a neutral symbology, as has happened with other athletes and other countries in previous competitions. »

In any case, if Israel participates normally in the tournament, Navarra cannot consider its suspension because that is the competence of the Spanish Federation. Chivite has endorsed his words and has pointed out that they do not share « that a team that represents a country that is breaking all human rights concurs in our community in some kind of competition. » The Pamplona City Council-governor for the tripartite EH Bildu, Geroa Bai and with Great-Zurekin-has also seconded this request. The agreement reached between the partners states that « the City Council of Pamplona and the government team that manages it cannot look the other way to what the state of Israel is doing in Palestine. »

If the Federation does not accept this application, the Consistory announces that Pamplona will not collaborate in the organization of this championship, for which a subsidy of 20,000 euros is planned. « The position of this government team is that, despite the fact that there are other selections that can be affected, the institution must act with coherence, responsibility and leadership on behalf of a city that on the innumerable occasions has positioned itself against genocidal practices such as those that are being produced in Gaza, » says the pact. The women’s selections from 18 countries participate in this tournament.

In addition, the president has stressed that the position of the Navarrese government is not new and that she has always been « on the same side. » He has put as an example the La Paz Prize that was awarded this last September to UNRWA – the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees. « We, not like other communities, continue to maintain financing to this organization. There have been many other communities that have begun to withdraw their financing and, of course, we are committed to strict compliance with international law and human rights, » he added.