Sabine Sterk: Spain’s Shameful History Against Jews and Its Dangerous Embrace of “Palestine”

Spain has a long, disgraceful history when it comes to Jews and the Jewish state. From the Spanish Inquisition to the modern recognition of a so-called “State of Palestine,” Spain has repeatedly chosen the path of persecution, betrayal, and hostility. The tragedy is not only historical; it continues today, as Spain positions itself as one of Europe’s most vicious critics of Israel while ignoring, excusing, and even empowering terrorism.

On October 7, 2023, Israel suffered the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust: Hamas terrorists stormed across the Gaza border, murdering, burning, raping, and kidnapping civilians. While most civilized nations stood shocked, Spain refused to unequivocally condemn Hamas. Instead, it condemned Israel for defending itself. Worse, in May 2024, Spain officially recognized “Palestine” as a state, rewarding terrorism and bloodshed with legitimacy. The message was clear: Jewish blood is cheap, but appeasing radical Arab forces is politically convenient.

This shameful pattern is not new. Spain’s vicious history toward the Jewish people stretches back more than 500 years.

The Inquisition and Expulsion

By the late Middle Ages, Spain’s Jews were one of the most thriving Jewish communities in Europe. They were scholars, doctors, philosophers, traders, and royal advisors. Yet they were increasingly targeted by envy and Christian zealotry. Anti-Jewish riots in 1391 saw thousands massacred and tens of thousands forcibly converted. These “conversos,” or “New Christians,” were forever treated with suspicion. Those who secretly clung to Judaism became “crypto-Jews,” relentlessly hunted by the Spanish Inquisition.

Established in 1478, the Inquisition officially targeted “heretics.” In reality, it became a tool to terrorize anyone with Jewish ancestry. Conversos were tortured, paraded in public trials, and burned alive. Even centuries later, the taint of “Jewish blood” was enough to ruin reputations, careers, and families.

Then came 1492, the Edict of Expulsion. Ferdinand and Isabella decreed that all Jews who refused baptism must leave Spain. Between 40,000 and 100,000 Jews were driven out. Families were stripped of wealth, robbed on the roads, and scattered across the Mediterranean. Spain’s Jewish Golden Age was extinguished overnight. Ironically, the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II mocked Spain’s rulers for impoverishing their kingdom by expelling such a gifted people. Spain’s loss was the gain of lands like the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, and later the Netherlands.

The trauma of expulsion scarred Sephardic Jews for centuries. They carried Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language, with them in exile, but they also carried a memory of betrayal, violence, and intolerance. To this day, the Spanish Inquisition is synonymous with cruelty and persecution of Jews.

Spain’s Modern Hypocrisy

One might expect Spain, after centuries of anti-Jewish crimes, to show humility in dealing with the Jewish state. Instead, Spain has doubled down on hostility. In international forums, Spain almost reflexively blames Israel for any conflict, while minimizing or ignoring Arab terrorism. Its media is notoriously slanted against Israel, recycling the old antisemitic tropes of “Jewish power” and “colonial occupation.”

Spain has gone so far as to maintain a consulate in East Jerusalem since 1853, long before Israel’s rebirth, explicitly serving Judea and Samaria and Gaza as if a Palestinian state already existed. By recognizing “Palestine” in 2024, Spain did more than take a political stand. It legitimized Hamas’s genocidal violence and undermined Israel’s right to defend itself. Spain’s leaders may cloak their decision in the language of “human rights,” but it is nothing more than appeasement of terror wrapped in diplomacy.

The Gaza Flotilla and Spain’s Complicity

Spain’s hostility is not confined to words. Its actions are increasingly aggressive. A striking example is Spain’s open support for the illegal Gaza flotilla, an operation designed to break Israel’s lawful naval blockade of Gaza.

What is the blockade?

Since 2007, when Hamas violently seized Gaza, Israel has maintained a naval blockade to prevent weapons smuggling. This blockade is fully recognized under international law. According to the San Remo Manual and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country at war may legally enforce a blockade, even intercepting vessels in international waters if they are clearly heading to breach it. Israel inspects cargo and allows humanitarian aid through land crossings. What it denies is unfettered shipping lanes that Hamas could use to import rockets, missiles, and explosives.

What was the flotilla?

The most infamous flotilla sailed in May 2010, led by the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara. Ostensibly a “humanitarian” mission, it was in fact organized by pro-Hamas activists intent on provoking confrontation. When Israeli commandos boarded the ships to reroute, they were attacked with knives and clubs. In the ensuing clash, nine activists were killed. This was not peace activism; it was an act of political warfare.

Spain’s involvement today

Spain’s latest role in supporting and guiding flotilla ships toward Gaza is not a neutral humanitarian gesture. It is a deliberate attempt to undermine Israel’s security. By encouraging ships to challenge the blockade, Spain is effectively abetting Hamas. Under maritime law, this can even be seen as an act of war, since it seeks to break a declared blockade. For a member of the European Union to engage in such reckless behavior not only endangers Israel but also implicates the EU itself. If Brussels does not condemn Spain’s actions, it becomes complicit.

The Broader Pattern

Spain’s recognition of “Palestine,” its refusal to condemn Hamas, and its active role in aiding flotillas form a clear pattern. Spain positions itself as the champion of “Palestinian rights,” but in reality, it is perpetuating the oldest European disease: antisemitism. Yesterday it was the Inquisition. Today it is diplomatic warfare against the Jewish state. The tools have changed, but the hostility is familiar.

What makes this especially tragic is Spain’s blindness to its own history. After centuries of persecuting Jews, expelling them, and erasing their culture, Spain now pretends to lecture Israel on morality. It dares to condemn the very people it once burned at the stake, now that they have restored their ancient homeland and defend themselves from terror.

Spain Must Be Held Accountable

Spain’s shameful history with Jews is not just a relic of the past; it is alive in its policies toward Israel today. From the Inquisition to the recognition of a terror-backed “Palestine,” from the expulsion of Jews to the guiding of flotillas, Spain has consistently chosen the side of oppression. Its actions send a dangerous message to the world: that terrorism pays, and that Jewish lives are expendable.

The European Union must speak with clarity. If Spain insists on undermining Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, then Spain should be condemned in the strongest terms. Silence from the EU is complicity.

For Israel, the lesson is clear: just as Jews survived Spain’s Inquisition, expulsion, and centuries of exile, they will survive Spain’s diplomatic betrayal today. The Jewish people outlasted the kings and inquisitors of Spain, and they will outlast the political opportunists who side with Hamas.

History remembers Spain’s shame. It will also remember Israel’s resilience.