VICTORY! Lawfare Project secures win as Mayor of Barcelona restores relations with Israel
“The decision by Mayor Collboni to respect the rule of law and restore relations with Israel and cooperation with Tel Aviv corrects [the former Mayor’s] complete abuse of power to engage in a bigoted and partisan campaign targeting the Jewish people. This shows the importance of using the legal system to fight to uphold our rights.”
On Friday, The Lawfare Project achieved a major victory in the fight against antisemitism, stemming from its lawsuit against the former Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau.
Filed this past April, the lawsuit challenged Ms. Colau’s February 2023 suspension of relations with Israel and all its institutions, including the international agreement of cooperation and friendship signed with the city of Tel Aviv. The lawsuit alleged that Ms. Colau exceeded her powers by targeting Israel with such measures.
After The Lawfare Project filed suit, Ms. Colau was voted out of office. Now, after evaluating the circumstances, Barcelona's new mayor, Jaume Collboni, reversed his predecessor's actions and restored relations with Israel and with sister city Tel Aviv, bringing an end to Ms. Colau’s discriminatory and illegal boycott.
The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, speaks after a press conference in Barcelona, Aug. 30, 2023. (Kike Rincon/Europa Press via Getty Images)
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Barcelona Institute for Dialogue with Israel, a local charity. Ms. Colau justified the boycott of Israel based on alleged "systematic violation of human rights” and publicly stated that “Barcelona says no to apartheid.”
“The decision by Mayor Collboni to respect the rule of law and restore relations with Israel and cooperation with Tel Aviv corrects Ms. Colau’s complete abuse of power to engage in a bigoted and partisan campaign targeting the Jewish people,” said Brooke Goldstein, Founder and Executive Director of The Lawfare Project.
Goldstein continued, "This shows the importance of using the legal system to fight to uphold our rights to be free of discrimination, including antisemitic campaigns that attack Israel by using false, racist allegations. I am proud of the work our team accomplished to secure this victory, and we remain vigilant in our fight to defend the rights of Jewish communities around the world. Mayor Collboni should visit Israel to better appreciate the diversity and strength of the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people, and to once and for all put an end to the hatred that stems from ignorance about our democratic values.”
Ignacio Palacios, The Lawfare Project's counsel in Spain, remarked: "This rejection of the institutional boycott of Israel sends a powerful message to the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which, as Ms. Colau pointed out, had hoped that other European cities would adopt similar measures. We expect that Mayor Collboni's action will deter other local governments from engaging in such discrimination."