This Thursday, the Dénia City Council approved an Institutional Declaration in solidarity with the Palestinian people for the Gaza war with the majority of votes in favor, except for Vox. The issue has caused a scuffle between the mayor, Vicent Grimalt, and the Vox councilor, Félix Redondo.
«Since the creation of the State of Israel, the Palestinian people have been continually under siege. "There have been more than seven years of occupation, blockade and systematic violation of human rights," he expressed. Melani Ivars, Councilor for Social Welfare and belonging to the socialist group, who explained the reasons for this motion promoted by the Moviment per la Pau association.
Ivars has stressed that "there is no other option" than supporting the Palestinian people in the face of genocide. Given these statements, mario vidal, spokesperson for Gent of Dénia, wanted to clarify that his group has a "more universal" thought about the conflict and they ask for peace for the whole world, not just for Palestine: "We support peace wherever it comes from." "We miss the recognition that the problem is neither Palestine nor Israel, it is Hamas, which is a terrorist group," Redondo declared.
It is after these interventions that the Vox councilor wanted to express his disagreement with calling what is happening in Gaza "genocide": "Genocide is what the Nazis did with the Jews." Furthermore, he has stated that the problem is the existence of the terrorist group Hamas, which "has massacred more than 1.400 people." "We want the war to end, but we are going to make things clear, it is not a conflict between Israel and Palestine, there is a terrorist group that must be pressured to hand over its weapons and hostages," he added.
Vicent Grimalt then responded to Gent de Dénia saying that the issue to be debated was Gaza and not other international conflicts. Regarding Vox's intervention, the mayor stressed that "for 75 years the UN has been asking Israel to let the Palestinians live in peace."
"You are very wrong and I ask for a little respect, because what Israel is doing is a genocide," Grimalt added. The Vox councilor has responded by saying that "the genocide is not being carried out by the Israelites, who are the ones who are killing those who are hiding, it is Hamas that is doing it because they are hiding behind their people."
In response, the mayor told him that he had not understood the motion. Redondo has asked that Grimalt not tell him again that he does not understand things.
On the other hand, the spokesperson for the Party in the City of Dénia, Pepa Font, reported that his group was withdrawing the amendment it had presented to this motion, since what is happening in Palestine is "unbearable."
This debate has taken place with the presence of members of Moviment per la Pau in the plenary session itself, who have shown their flags and banners at all times with messages such as "It is not a war, it is a genocide" or "Let's stop the conflict." After the approval of the motion, those present gave a long applause and shouted "Long live Palestine!"
Moviment por la Pau actions
The Moviment per la Pau entity declared this afternoon that it had donated 905 euros to the Spanish Committee Association of UNRWA as aid for the Gaza war. In addition, the organization has called a demonstration on the esplanade of the Port of Dénia for this coming Sunday at 12:30.
The group has thanked the City Council for its gesture after the approval and encourages the rest of the municipal governments in the region to make similar statements in the coming weeks.
The first thing to do is recognize the municipal government that emerged democratically from the polls. That is, do not offend and respect, whether we like it or not.
Saying that Hamas is a terrorist group that has massacred hundreds of people.
The genocide that Israel is subjecting Palestine to has no justification. The UN and even the American government recognize it.
It would be necessary to stop the massacre produced by the Israelis and recognize both towns and territories.
It is convenient that other politicians will dedicate themselves to governing their Community and leave national problems to others.
What is happening is of unprecedented severity.
Everything that is being said is so serious, it affects us so deeply…. and we begin to doubt, who tells the truth, who manipulates us, then the desire arises in us to save ourselves from the horror, and from the incomprehension of such a situation.
And we began to misinform ourselves, seeking refuge in lighter things, forgetting the reported atrocities,
we move away from the dramas, we stop watching our usual news programs, and we seek refuge
in ourselves and what we can contribute, SUPER MODESTLY, to our society.
The most we can help our society at this time is to be worthy of it.
Interesting how the responses in this comments section repeat the same points as the article's opposition. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that they all focus guilt on the same objective, and that five of them have been published in the same period of time.
Did the representatives of Palestine also celebrate the October 7 massacre of Jews by Hamas? In many European cities they took to the streets to celebrate. It is as if the Russian Community came out to celebrate the massacre in Ukraine.
In my opinion, the job of a City Council is to manage the local needs of Citizens, aiming to preserve and improve the coexistence of its population and preserve and improve the services and goods of its territory, correctly managing a budget to generate wealth and well-being.
When we get lost in national and international affairs with bombastic statements without any effect, things go badly.
The Mayor and his government team demonstrate with this their insolvency and inability for proper local management and get lost in issues that are not their concern with the sole objective of appearing, being "newsworthy", diverting attention and looking good without doing what they should do and dedicate themselves to what they should dedicate themselves to.
Regardless of who is right in this sad conflict, for me it is a clear demonstration of the type of people who govern us when they also demonstrated that they are not even capable of respecting official mourning for a nearby catastrophe.
Rudolf, I totally agree with you, they divert the issues towards other issues that are the concern of Europe and not of the City Councils of any locality, which what they should do is worry about the well-being of their locality.
Do the city council really have to get involved in these issues?
I think they've lost their temper.
The town council is there to manage the needs of the citizens of the town and those matters are escalated to other levels.
One more proof that they have plenty of time to do things that are not their responsibility to make themselves important.
They should focus on local problems, which is what they are there for, and leave those issues to the competent national institutions.
Want to discuss.
No, Dénia does not approve anything, its mayor approves with his co-religionists.
The complete and self-serving omission of the true cause of the current confrontation is absolutely shameful.
Let us remember that on October 7 of last year, Hamas, which holds the GOVERNMENT of the Gaza Strip, attacked the Israeli border, resulting in several hundred dead and kidnapped, among them the majority women, the elderly and children.
Not a word about the women RAPED and MURDERED by the "peaceful" fighters for the freedom of Palestine.
Mr. Mayor and Ms. Ivars would do well to pick up a history book sometimes when they see so much sectarianism, before stating so categorically that Israel has been oppressing and massacring the Palestinian people for 75 years.
Palestine has had just as much time to form its independent state and they have done NOTHING except build tunnels, form paramilitary organizations and associate with international terrorism.
Do the hundreds of deaths mentioned here include the supposed “40 executed babies” who served to mobilize support for Israel in October, and weeks later Joe Biden appeared on national television stating that the news was false? The “1400 dead Israeli civilians” that the news broadcast, whose confirmed figure was not even half, and all of them Soldiers exercising violence in Palestinian territory? The rape allegations that began with a Washington Post article that was denied for having no basis in information, and whose author uses social media to compare Palestinians to insects? The "hundreds of kidnapped people" who in reality the State of Israel has refused to want back, or the 7 who hours ago were confirmed murdered by their own government, the Israeli Forces? It is very effective in continuing to destroy houses and evict Palestinians, just as it has been doing for seventy years. Do you know the intentions of the sources that reproduce this information? Is the problem that people refuse to peacefully fold their arms and die?
From the local level to the national level the same scum….
This incompetent government that is incapable of governing Dénia, that is incapable of keeping the official mourning of the community,
It aims to save the Palestinian people
Obviously there is a terrorist group called Hamad, but if the central government wants to grant amnesty for terrorist crimes, I understand that they support Hamas, that is, the Palestinian people.
Anyway, it's a lot of fun, but these guys trying to do this nonsense are worthless.
The Israeli government is trembling after seeing the mayor of Denia and his councilors calling for this,
I don't know if this pressure can withstand the fact that they cannot defend themselves as a people, that when it attacks them in their territory, their citizens will kill them, they cannot defend themselves, because the mayor of Denis and his councilors are putting pressure on them.
They are scared