In a Dec. 17 letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 18 Republican members of Congress, led by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), wrote that the administration was raising “serious concerns regarding the recent decision by the government of Spain to boycott Israel.”
She called on the department to review the move under American law for reasons that include protecting U.S. business from legal exposure.
“Spain’s actions go beyond rhetoric and cross into formal economic discrimination against one of America’s closest allies,” she stated.
The letter references Section 999 of the Internal Revenue Code, known as the Ribicoff Amendment, which requires Treasury to maintain a list of countries that condition commercial participation on compliance with an unsanctioned international boycott. It noted that “if the criteria are met, Spain should be added to the boycott list to ensure that U.S. companies are informed of their reporting obligations and protected from unintended legal exposure.”
The provision, the lawmakers wrote, reflects the bipartisan commitment of the United States to oppose “foreign boycotts against friendly nations, particularly those aimed at Israel.”
Spain enacted a sweeping embargo on Israel in October, banning exports and imports of defense equipment and dual-use technology, as well as the transit of fuel or military materials through Spanish ports and airspace. The lawmakers cited reports that a U.S. arms shipment to Israel was blocked from transiting Spanish bases.
They also said the legislation bans advertising of products from the Gaza Strip, in addition to Judea and Samaria, and described the measure as part of a broader effort aligned with the international anti-Israel BDS movement.
