Spanish Courts Suspend Anti-Israel Boycotts in Cities of Castrillón, El Prat de Llobregat

The Lawfare Project continues to lead the fight against BDS in Spain

OVIEDO, SPAIN—This week, a district court in Oviedo, Spain dealt another significant blow to the Spanish BDS movement by issuing a writ of interim injunction against the City Council of Castrillón for its discriminatory boycott of Israeli products. The decision came shortly after another court in Barcelona struck down a boycott provision passed by the City Council of El Prat de Llobregat, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, stating that the boycott is in breach of free speech and the academic freedom of the individuals targeted by the campaign.

The Lawfare Project’s Spanish Counsel, Ignacio Wenley Palacios, has secured a total of 46 writs of injunction and decisions against the Spanish boycott campaign across the country. In just the last eight months, The Lawfare Project has attained 19 writs of injunction and favorable court decisions, having established in Spain a court doctrine against boycotts based on alleged compliance with human rights and international law by transnational corporations.

“The Spanish Courts have supported our legal reasoning that boycotts of Israel infringe on human rights, violate free speech, and are tantamount to discrimination on account of national origin and personal opinions,” said Palacios. “The City Council of Castrillón passed this boycott with the notion that it would be impervious to legal challenges. We have proven them wrong.”

“The Lawfare Project stands on the front lines fighting against discrimination targeting Jews and Israelis. We will not rest as long as any organization attempts to legalize anti-Semitic policies, whether it is a local government or an international airline company,” said Brooke Goldstein, Executive Director of The Lawfare Project. “We will continue to stand up in defense of the freedoms and liberties of every individual and to advance justice for the pro-Israel community.”