Antisemitism in Spain

Jews in Islamic-occupied Spain, Al-Andalus , were second-class dhimmis who were targeted in pogroms such as the 1066 Granada massacre . In 1492, via the Alhambra Decree , King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered the expulsion of an estimated 80,000 Jews from the country, and thus put an end to the largest and most distinguished Jewish community in Europe. The coercive baptisms eventually produced the phenomenon of the conversos ( Marranos ), the Inquisition , and statutes of “blood purity” five centuries before the race laws in Nazi Germany . From the end of the nineteenth century, Jews have been perceived as conspirators, alongside the notion of a universal Jewish conspiracy to control the world. Following the Soviet revolution and the founding of the Spanish Communist Party in 1920, such “anti-Spanish forces” were primarily identified with the “destructive communist virus,” often considered to be guided by the Jews. During the Spanish Civil War , the alliance between Franco ’s faction and Nazi Germany opened the way for the emergence of antisemitism in the Spanish Right. It was during the 1960s that the first Spanish neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups appeared, such as CEDADE . Later on, the Spanish neo-Nazis attempted to use antisemitic discourse to explain the political transition to democracy (1976–1982) following the death of General Franco . It drew on the same ideas that had been expressed in 1931 when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed — that political turning points could be explained as the result of various “intrigues”. From 1948 until 1986, Israel was not recognized by Spain, and Israel and Spain had no diplomatic ties. In 1978, Jews were recognized as full citizens in Spain, and today the Jewish population numbers about 40,000 - 1 percent of Spain's population, 20,000 of whom are registered in the Jewish communities. The majority live in the larger cities of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula , North Africa or the islands. Nevertheless, many of the prejudices cultivated during the Franco years persist in the twenty-first century. Derived from the fact that almost all Spaniards are Catholic, and Spain remains to this day one of the most homogeneous Western countries, Spanish Judeophobia reflects a national obsession with religious and ethnic unity which is based on the conception of an “internal enemy” plotting the downfall of the Catholic religion and the traditional social order.

Anti-Jewish sentiment and historical violence in Spain Antisemitism in Spain has its roots in Christian anti-Judaism which began with the expansion of Christianity on the Iberian Peninsula during the rule of the Roman Empire . Its first violent manifestation occurred in the brutal persecution of Jews in Visigothic Hispania . During the Middle Ages , Jews in Islamic-occupied Spain, Al-Andalus , were designated as dhimmis , and, despite occasional violent outbursts such as the 1066 Granada massacre , they were granted protection to profess their religion in exchange of abiding to certain conditions that limited their rights in relation to Muslims. After the Almoravid invasion in the 11th century, the situation of the Jewish population in Muslim territory worsened, and during the Almohad invasion of the peninsula, many Jews fled to the northern Christian kingdoms, the eastern Mediterranean and the more tolerant Muslim areas in North Africa . During the Reconquista the Jews in Spain lived in relative peace next to their Christian neighbors. The kings, especially those of Aragon , regarded the Jews as their property and it was in their own interest to protect them. During this time the Jews enjoyed relative political freedom, they had posts in the courts and were merchants and businessmen. The Jews used to live separately in juderías (Jewish neighbourhoods). Despite the good relations the Jews had with their Christian neighbors, especially in the 14th century, antisemitism was rising. Blood libel accusations were spreading and decrees were imposed on the Jewish people. The situation peaked with the massacres of 1391 , in which entire communities were murdered and many were forcibly converted. 1906 illustration of the blood libel of " Dominguito del Val " In 1492, via the Alhambra Decree , King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ordered the expulsion of a disputed number of Jews from the country, ranging from 45,000 to 200,000, and thus put an end to the largest and most distinguished Jewish community in Europe. The coerced baptisms eventually produced the phenomenon of the conversos ( Marranos ), the Inquisition and statutes of “blood purity” five centuries before the racial laws of Nazi Germany . From the end of the 19th century, Jews have been perceived as conspirators, alongside the notion of a universal Jewish conspiracy to control the world. Following the Soviet Revolution and the founding of the Spanish Communist Party in 1920, such "anti-Spanish forces" were primarily identified with the "destructive communist virus", which was often considered to be guided by the Jews. During the Spanish Civil War , the alliance between General Francisco Franco ’s faction and Nazi Germany opened the way for the emergence of antisemitism in the Spanish right. It was during the 1960s that the first Spanish neofascist and neo-Nazi groups appeared, such as CEDADE . Later on, Spanish Neo-Nazis attempted to use antisemitic discourse to explain the political transition to democracy (1976–1982) after the death of Franco. It drew on the same ideas that had been expressed in 1931 when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed; political revolutions could be explained as the result of various "intrigues". From 1948 to 1986, Israel was not recognized by Spain, and Israel and Spain had no diplomatic ties. In 1978, Jews were recognised as full citizens in Spain, and today the Jewish population numbers about 40,000, approximately 0.1% of Spain's population, 20,000 of whom are registered in the Jewish communities. Most live in the larger cities of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula , North Africa or the islands. According to some, derived from the fact that almost all Spaniards are Catholic, and Spain remains one of the most homogeneous Western countries, Spanish Judeophobia reflects a national obsession with religious and ethnic unity which is based on the conception of an imaginary "internal enemy" plotting the downfall of the Catholic religion and the traditional social order. However, that assumption clashes with the fact that 21st-century Spain is one of the most secularised countries in Europe, with only 3% of Spaniards considering religion as one of their three most important values and thus not linking it to their national or personal identity. Furthermore, in modern Spain there is not an "internal enemy" scare but in far-right circles, which are more often focused against Muslim immigration as well as Catalan and Basque separatism , way more visible phenomena. Modern antisemitic-like attitudes in Spain utilizes perceived abusive policies of the State of Israel against Palestinians and in the international scene rather than to any kind of religious or identity obsession as a justification for anti-Jewish sentiments, and it has been defined by Jewish authors as an "antisemitism without antisemites" despite such rhetoric still being ostensibly antisemitic. In Mª Desamparados Martínez San Pedro (ed.). OCLC 20775283 . : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link ) Joseph Pérez (1988). Isabel y Fernando, los Reyes Católicos [ Isabella and Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarchs ] (in Spanish).

Antisemitism in Spain is the expression through words or actions of an ideology of hatred towards Jews on Spanish soil.