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About twenty Republican deputies with weight on Capitol Hill sent a letter to the US Secretary of the Treasury this Thursday, Scott Bessant, urging you to evaluate whether to include Spain on the blacklist of countries when considering that the Government of Pedro Sánchez is carrying out or promoting a international boycott against Israel.
The conservative congressmen, as they explain in the letter, base this express request on the ban on the import and export of defense material, products and dual-use technology with Israel approved by the Government last September in response to the “genocide in Gaza”, in addition to the veto of entry into Spain of ships and planes with weapons destined for Benjamin Netanyahu’s Army or the transit of fuel through ports and airspace.
They also detail that last September the Government prohibited the transit of a shipment of American weapons to Israel through our bases in Rota and Morón de la Frontera.
The letter warns that these policies encourage economic discrimination against the Middle Eastern country and, in addition, generate legal uncertainty for American companies operating in Spain.
The inclusion of Spain in the blacklist of the boycott of Israel would depend on the Treasury. The process can be started as long as the Department has received a complaint from the affected companies or a request from the Executive or Congress, as in this case, although its approval in the House of Representatives or an executive order from the president is not necessary.
The Department headed by Bessent is in charge of evaluating whether A foreign government is demanding, promoting or conditioning commercial activities that involve participation in an international boycott against Israel considered illegal by US legislation, through the study of the legislation approved by the Executive – in this case the Spanish one – or the practices carried out.
What would it mean?
Spain would be the first European country and Western ally of the US to enter this list, since it is currently made up only of Arab countries that at some point have placed obstacles in Israel’s trade relations, including Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Entering the blacklist of the boycott of Israel would lead to Possible sanctions for US companies and citizens operating in Spain by imposing legal and fiscal demands in order to prevent them from aligning with, in their opinion, the attempted economic and commercial isolation of Israel.
To do this, the Republicans rely on the Enmienda Ribicoff, a legal instrument that is part of the Tax Act of 1976 under which the United States can impose sanctions on companies that participate in international boycotts against Israel with the idea of ensuring that American companies are not forced to take part in these commercial pressures.
Although it would not entail any direct sanction against Spain, it would affect its international position.
A step at a sensitive moment
The entry of Spain on this list would be a sensitive move for relations between Madrid and the United States, after a spokesperson for the United States Department of State affirmed the measures adopted by the Government of Pedro Sánchez “embolden the terrorists” of Hamas.
US diplomacy described it as “deeply worrying” that Spain will choose ““potentially limit US operations and turn our backs on Israel on the same day six people were murdered in Jerusalem.”
The tension in trade relations between both countries has also been conditioned due to Sánchez’s refusal to increase defense spending to 5% of Spanish GDP: Trump has repeatedly attacked the management of the socialist leader for his refusal in this matter, even threatening to expel Spain from NATO or increase its tariffs.
Bessenthead of the department that would study the Republican proposal, already warned Sánchez for his approaches to China in the face of the trade protectionism of Donald Trump’s Administration: “It would be like cutting your own throat,” he said.
Likewise, diplomatic relations with Israel are also on the tightrope since Sánchez recognized Palestine as an independent state in May 2024.
Spain has banned entry to two of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ministers, the far-right Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, after the Hebrew government vetoed the access to their country of the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister of Children and Youth, Sira Rego.