Trias & Valls: Fighting Antisemitism in [City/Region]

BarcelonaThe former mayor of Barcelona Xavier Trias and the former French prime minister Manuel Valls join forces on the same platform chaired by the former Barcelona councilor and with the presence of another political personality such as the socialist senator Gabriel Colomé. A new entity, Emet Verdad, which aims to fight anti-Semitism in Catalonia and which has caused the reappearance of Valls, months after he left French politics again in a new government reshuffle that left him out of the Overseas Ministry. Trias also left the first line, after Jaume Collboni wrested the mayorship from him by making an agreement with the PP and Commons, but he has become president of the Junts ex-mayors’ advisory council and has been participating in the political debate despite being retired.

This foundation with such different personalities but under the leadership of Valls is driven “to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred”. It was founded by the Israeli Community of Barcelona and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, key Jewish organizations. Its founding aim is to “combat hatred of Jews” directed at “Jewish and non-Jewish persons or their property, institutions of Jewish communities and their places of worship”. It aims to act against anti-Semitic “historical revisionism”, at the same time it will centralize and analyze anti-Semitic incidents in Catalonia, help implement policies against this cycle and contribute to the memory of the Jewish people. It also aims to act against the “defamation” of the Jewish people and to take care of the bridges between the administrations. It should be remembered that the Israeli government has on multiple occasions accused the Spanish executive of Pedro Sánchez of promoting “anti-Semitism” for his position against the genocide of the Palestinian people perpetrated by the Hebrew army.

According to sources consulted, Trias has always had a “close relationship” with the Jewish community in Barcelona, ​​and a few weeks ago he was asked to collaborate with this new foundation to have a “better coexistence”. From the first moment, I knew that Valls and Colomé, politicians of different sensibilities, would join it.

Valls, architect of the operation against independence to make Ada Colau mayoress and block Ernest Maragall’s way in 2019, had a short history in the Barcelona council – he even broke with Ciutadans and planted the seed of a failed party like Valents – but a long one in terms of alliances because his strategy was copied by the popular Daniel Sirera to prevent Trias from being elected in 2023, with the collaboration of Colau. For his part, Colomé, known for his anti-independenceism, advised ex-minister Josep Borrell and was a Barcelona councilor during Trias’ term as mayor, as well as director of the Center for Opinion Studies appointed by the tripartite party between 2005 and 2011.