District court rejects boycott of Israelis by Spanish city
A district court in Barcelona recently issued a temporary injunction that rejects a boycott of Israeli individuals and businesses by the city of Molins de Rei.
The Spanish flag. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The injunction is expected to be followed up in the coming months by a permanent ruling against the boycott, which the Spanish city of Molins de Rei has had in effect since 2013.
The ruling comes after an incident in November 2018 in which a Women’s Water Polo World League match between Israel and Spain, set to take place in Molins de Rei, was cancelled just days before the match due to anti-Israel pressure on the city. Following public outrage, the match was permitted to take place but played in private and without the public being allowed to attend.
“This type of boycott is rooted in antisemitism and is in clear violation of Spanish law,” said the legal think tank The Lawfare Project in a statement Wednesday. “Israeli persons and businesses cannot be discriminated against due to their national origin or religion.”
Brooke Goldstein, executive director of The Lawfare Project, added, “The court’s decision reinforces the fact that the commercial boycott of Israeli individuals and businesses is illegal, and adherence to the boycott will not be tolerated in Spain.”
Spain has the highest number of municipalities in Europe that have adopted anti-Israel resolutions and boycotts, according to the Jewish Press. The Lawfare Project has initiated legal actions against these acts, so far invalidating 65 city and local anti-Israel resolutions.
JNS
