Díaz Ayuso told Herzog Ada Colau's decision to break with Israel does not represent either Catalonia or Spain: "We are a welcoming country"

The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has met in Jerusalem with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to whom she has conveyed that the decision of the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, to break ties with this country does not represent either Catalonia or Spain. "Our country is a welcoming country and, in particular, the Community of Madrid is a welcoming country", she said.

After a meeting in the context of the president's trip to Israel this week, the president defined Madrid as the "home of all", a defender of fundamental rights and history. "We are not at a time to break off relations with anyone, with any country, much less with a democratic state like Israel, an example of democracy like few others, and with which we have many cultural, economic and political ties," she said.

"This trip is in representation of all the people of Madrid, of an open, tolerant, prosperous community that defends freedom and life above all else and that does not want the decision taken unilaterally by the Mayor of Barcelona (Ada Colau) to be seen outside our borders as a Spanish decision because it does not represent Spain, it does not represent Catalonia", she reiterated.

The president, in this sense, wants it to be "clear" to the Jewish people that "Madrid is something different" and that it is in another direction, "which is that of openness". She described the region as a "place of opportunities", also highlighting the progress made in recent times in terms of digitalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"We believe it is important that the different governments meet and that public-private collaboration continues to grow, that we talk to other companies that are also aware of the good practices of what we are doing in Madrid in case it can serve to provide us with feedback", added Díaz Ayuso, concluding that she is "convinced" that "together" "many more things" can be done.