Spain to investigate firms promoting Israeli settlement products

The Spanish government said Tuesday it will open investigations into companies promoting goods or services in Spain that originate from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The move comes after Spain adopted a decree last week banning the promotion of such products and services, part of a broader package of measures that also includes an arms embargo on Israel. The measures aim to prevent companies from profiting from the occupation and to pressure Israel over its genocide in Gaza.

In a statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs stressed that the government would act decisively to enforce the decree. Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said his office would use “all necessary resources” to ensure compliance. “No company’s budget should be stained with the blood of the Palestinian people,” he declared at an event in July.

The announcement coincided with the United Nations’ release on Friday of an updated database of firms operating in Israeli settlements, naming 158 companies from 11 countries.

One Spanish firm on the list, ACS Construction, immediately sought removal, arguing it had divested from its Israeli operations. The company—chaired by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez—said it sold its subsidiary SEMI, which had operated in Israel, in 2021. “ACS does not engage in any activity in Israel or in the Israeli settlements,” the firm said in a statement.

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