Sanctions on Israel: Basque firm lawsuit for genocide complicity

Three executives from the Basque steel company Sidenor have been facing the scrutiny of the Spanish National Court in Madrid, accused of smuggling steel to Israeli weapons manufacturers. The case comes as global calls for sanctions on Israel intensify, with campaigners arguing that corporate complicity must be confronted alongside state action.

Though the historic proceedings have been almost totally ignored by English-speaking media, an AFP report (via MSN) suggests the steel was allegedly shipped to Israeli Military Industries, which the Ditch reports is now an Elbit Systems subsidiary. Elbit have been integral to the holocaust carried out by the Zionist entity in Palestine, providing the majority of weaponry to the Israeli Genocide Forces (IGF). There are instances of other cases being taken against corporations for their role in Zionist crimes, such as against Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions target Airbnb, but the Sidenor case appears to be at a more advanced stage than any other.

The Catalonian media outlet Ara covers proceedings more extensively. It reports on a “closed-door hearing that lasted just over an hour” in which president of Sidenor José Antonio Jainaga testified before a judge alongside two other executives. The boss argued that the material exported:

…is not among the products subject to special control by the administration.

Sanctions on Israel — Magistrate suggests the company had “full knowledge” of what they were doing

Spain recently voted for a total arms embargo on the illegitimate terror state, banning export of weaponry and any items of potential dual-use that could be used for military purposes. The country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is one of the few national leaders in the West to routinely describe ‘Israel’s’ crimes as genocide. Jainaga contended this recent law was not relevant in any case, saying that when the sale was made “there were no restrictions on trade relations” between Spain and the criminal settler-colony.

Jainaga’s argument largely focused on adherence to correct administrative proceedings, also stating he had received no formal instructions from Spanish or European authorities telling Sidenor to no longer ship to the Zionist regime. However, the organisation that brought the complaint – the Palestinian Community Association of Catalonia (PCAC) – are bringing the case on the basis of complicity in genocide, rather than simply the box-ticking of standard export procedures. Ara reports:

The magistrate [pointed] out that the steel sale that prompted the investigation, which originated in the port of Barcelona, was allegedly carried out with “full knowledge” that the company IMSI is a manufacturer of both heavy and light weapons, and that the supplied material could be used to manufacture armaments in the context of what is happening in Gaza.

David Aranda, lawyer for PCAC said:

It’s not just a purely administrative matter, whether they had authorisation [for the sale] or from whom they should have requested it, but whether there is complicity on the part of a Spanish company in the final stages of the genocide in Gaza or crimes against humanity.

The shipments are alleged to have totalled 1207 tonnes, and were made since August 2024, well into the campaign of mass slaughter carried out by the IGF in Gaza. Aranda continued:

We believe that [the investigation] is a key milestone because it sends a very strong message to companies: it’s not enough to simply profit from the genocide in Gaza.

Investigative reports led to French dockers blocking steel shipments

The revelations in the Ditch led to French dockers blocking 26 tonnes of steel in June before they could be used for further atrocities. The Ireland-based outlet have just uncovered another Basque company’s involvement in Zionist crimes, identifying cargo sent to ‘Israel’ by the firm Juaristi Boring and Milling Machines. It amounted to:

…more than a tonne of vehicle components to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems…

The material in question was wheel bearings shipped on 29 January 2025, on a specific flight identified by the Ditch — “Air Europa flight UX1301 from Madrid to Tel Aviv”.

The company is based in Azkoitia, part of the Basque Autonomous Community, which has some powers of self-government enabling it limited scope to operate independently of control from Madrid. Activists in that region, along with other Basque areas, have long campaigned for complete independence from Spain. Due to this history of attempting to escape a foreign power controlling their land, support for Palestine has traditionally been strong in the region, similar to the Irish context. Recent examples include their leading football club Athletic Bilbao paying tribute to Palestinian refugees, and a match between the Basque and Palestinian national football teams.

Basque ruling class out of step with its people, just like everywhere else

It appears their corporate class are no less vile than anywhere else, however, and are happy to profit from the horrors of the Gaza holocaust. Yet another example of this depravity is Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) who are among the companies listed on a UN blocklist of corporate entities profiting from Zionist crimes. The sacks of shit in suits are currently attempting to win the contract for the renewal of the Belfast to Dublin rail connection, known as the Enterprise. They are compounding their insult to the Irish people by dragging the matter through the courts, claiming a lack of transparency in the tendering procedure.

For his part, Sidenor’s Jainaga is described by Ara as “a stalwart for the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV)”, the more conservative wing of Basque politics. Much like Ireland and numerous other nations, it seems the Basque people have a ruling class that have total disregard for international law, basic morality, and the wishes of their own population.

As pressure for sanctions on Israel continues to grow, the Sidenor case signals that corporations aiding the occupation may finally face real accountability.