Israeli agricultural firms bypass Spanish import ban on occupied territories

The investigation, conducted by the French group CIDSE and the Israeli research center Who Profits, reveals that these companies continue to market dates, peanuts, and almonds sourced from plantations in the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights. Royal Decree-Law 10/2025 was specifically enacted to block such trade and ensure Spanish compliance with international legal mandates regarding territories occupied by Israel. Despite the legislation, these firms maintain active distribution networks reaching European markets.

Field Produce Marketing, which operates a processing plant in the Yafit settlement, explicitly lists Spanish clients on its website, including distributors linked to major retailers like Mercadona. While some Spanish companies have denied current commercial ties, others have remained silent regarding their auditing processes. The Spanish Tax Administration Agency stated it could not provide data on potential sanction proceedings, noting that oversight remains decentralized across individual customs offices.

Beyond these three firms, researchers identified additional companies—Agrexco Carmel, Hamat Group, and Aqwise—with histories of exporting from occupied zones. While supermarket chains such as Carrefour, Lidl, and Eroski have issued statements affirming their commitment to human rights and legal compliance, they have largely declined to disclose specific verification mechanisms or confirm the termination of individual supplier contracts. For many observers, this continued presence in the Spanish market underscores a disconnect between legislative intent and the realities of global supply chain enforcement.