US seeks extradition of wealthy pro-Palestine donor from Spain

The United States is seeking the extradition of James “Fergie” Chambers from Spain, having accused the wealthy donor to Palestinian and other causes of financing “terrorism”.

Authorities in Ibiza detained Chambers last Friday on an international arrest warrant, after the US alleged he has provided material support to Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza but is designated a “terror organisation” by Washington.

The arrest and extradition request has raised concern that the Trump administration is extending its crackdown on Palestine solidarity beyond US borders.

Chambers is currently imprisoned in Madrid. Spain’s High Court has 40 days to rule on the extradition request, with the final say resting with the Council of Ministers.

Heir to the family that owns telecom giant Cox Communications, Chambers has donated more than $1m to pro-Palestine causes and humanitarian projects in Gaza.

His partner, Stella Schnabel, described the case as “political persecution”, saying he was being punished for supporting Palestinians and humanitarian work.

Lawyers, rights advocates and Spanish lawmakers have all cautioned that the US is now seeking to crack down on support for Palestinians at home and abroad.

Irene Montero, a Spanish representative to the EU Parliament, warned, “Spain can’t collaborate with Trump in the persecution of solidarity with Palestine.”

Lawyer Stanley Cohen, who has represented Hamas and Hezbollah in US courts, told the Guardian that the Trump administration’s decision to pursue Chambers’s arrest was “a conscious decision to target for political purposes”.

The case comes amid a wider US campaign targeting pro-Palestine activists, including the use of immigration enforcement and activist blacklists.

Rights groups have also linked the crackdown to Project Esther, a policy blueprint aimed at dismantling the pro-Palestinian movement.

Should Spain comply with the extradition request, it would sit at odds with President Pedro Sanchez’s outspokenness on Palestinian rights. His government has recognised the state of Palestine, criticised Israel’s genocide in Gaza and supported humanitarian efforts for Gaza.