‘Significant blow’ dealt against BDS in Spain as council boycott halted

An American litigation fund targeting anti-Israel policies has said it has dealt a “significant blow” to Spanish efforts to boycott Israel, after a judge in Oviedo issued a writ of injunction against a city council.

The interim stop order was issued to the City Council of Castrillón following its decision to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

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.

Lawyers for the Lawfare Project said that the boycott was in breach of free speech and the academic freedom of the individuals targeted.

“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 Wenley Palacios.