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Is It Time for the Jews to Leave Spain?
The terrorist attack in Barcelona has once again caused many of us to reflect on the ominous effects of Muslim immigration in Europe. Although all citizens of every country in Europe are at risk, Jews in particular feel vulnerable to the intense hatred that is part of the radical Muslim ideology. The Jews in Spain are no exception.
As a result of this latest bombing, Barcelona’s Chief Rabbi warned Jews in Barcelona to leave while they could:
I tell my congregants: Don’t think we’re here for good. And I encourage them to buy property in Israel. This place is lost. Don’t repeat the mistake of Algerian Jews, of Venezuelan Jews. Better (to leave) early than late.
Victor Sorenssen, a spokesman for the Barcelona Jewish Community disagreed:
Barcelona is a city where Jews have been living for one hundred years and of which they are proud. We Jews will not leave our city. We are living a revival of Jewish culture.
The treatment of the Jews in Spain historically and most recently has been mixed. Anti-Jewish riots and expulsion were carried out in the 14th and 15th centuries:
Spanish Jews once constituted one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities in the world. This period ended definitively with the anti-Jewish riots of 1392 and Alhambra decree of 1492, as a result of which the majority of Jews in Spain (between 200,000 and 250,000) converted to Catholicism and those remaining (between 40,000 and 100,000) were forced into exile. An estimated 13,000 to 50,000 Jews live in Spain today.
In contrast, the Spanish government in 2015 formally invited the descendants of Jews who were expelled to return.
Still, there are other signs that suggest less enthusiasm for the Jewish population:
Fully 50 municipalities in Spain have passed BDS resolutions singling out Israel for boycott and censure in recent years. Even though Spanish courts have often struck down these resolutions, Spain has the most anti-Israel boycott resolutions in all of Europe.
Many Barcelona Jews were horrified last April when a Barcelona literary festival invited convicted terrorist Leila Khaled to speak. Khaled hijacked TWA Flight 40 in 1969, and in 1970 she helped hijack EL AL Flight 219. In that case, Khaled worked as a member of Black September, the terrorist group that murdered eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Despite her bloody history, pictures of Khaled were hung on Barcelona’s main streets to promote the festival.
Although there were protests against the invitation and against the posters that hung in the streets to promote Khaled’s event, Barcelona’s mayor publicly welcomed her to the city.
It’s also informative to take a closer look at the increase in immigration to Spain.
In studying immigration in Europe the Gatestone Institute noted significant changes in recent years:
Spain is on track to overtake Greece as the second-biggest gateway for migrants entering Europe by sea. The sudden surge in migration to Spain comes amid a crackdown on human smuggling along the Libya-Italy sea route, currently the main migrant point of entry to Europe. The westward shift in migration routes from Greece and Italy implies that Spain, situated only ten miles from Africa by sea, may soon find itself at the center of Europe’s migration crisis . . . In all, some 12,000 migrants have arrived in Spain so far this year, compared to 13,246 for all of 2016. By comparison, 14,156 migrants have arrived in Greece so far in 2017.
In addition, there’s been a surge in African migration through Spanish borders. And the picture for Europe is even bleaker:
The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said that in order to staunch the flow of migrants from Africa, the European Union would need to invest billions and develop a long-term strategy to stabilize the continent: ‘If we do not manage to solve the central problems in African countries, ten, 20 or even 30 million immigrants will arrive in the European Union within the next ten years.’
In summarizing the points in this post, here’s what I see:
- There are conflicting interests in Spain between Jews who fear that their community may once again be drifting into complacency, ignoring the potential dangers of staying in Spain; and on the other hand, there are those Jews who believe they are welcome in Spain and want to remain and continue to thrive there.
- A portion of the Spanish community wants to boycott Israel, which some would say makes a statement about its attitude toward its own Jewish community.
- Increasing immigration will admit Muslims who will likely hold anti-Semitic views; if the immigrants don’t assimilate, they will likely look for a scapegoat to blame.
With the rise of anti-Semitism particularly in Europe, it’s worth reflecting on the words of Dr. Yvette Alt-Miller:
Some Jews have dismissed Rabbi Bar-Hen’s warnings that they should think of moving to Israel as far-fetched. But as the threat of terrorism persists, as anti-Semitism increases around the world, I think it would be wise for every Jew to consider his words. Perhaps there is indeed no future here. We need to remember that outside of Israel we are living in exile. There is no denying that fact. It’s time to start thinking seriously that our future – and that of our children – might indeed lie in the Jewish state.
If you are a Jew, does the state of the world cause you to consider aliyah*?
Whether or not you are a Jew, what input would you provide to the Jews of Spain?
*Aliyah is Jewish immigration/return to Israel
I was in Spain 2 years ago, and they were initiating a program to get Jews descended from those wxpelled under their Most Christian Majesties, Ferdinand and Isabella, to return!
I couldn’t believe it.
I suspected they wanted yo repatriate Jewish wealth–then kick ’em out ( or worse) all over again.
Well, y’know: Jesus won’t come back till every Jew in the world is back in Israel. I can really see, now, how that might come true.
If I were a Jewish person in Spain, I would leave and go to either Israel or America, though they are probably more likely to get into Israel. In fact, if I were a Jewish person anywhere in Europe, that is what I would do. Europe is killing itself; even if our worst fears about anti-semitism in Europe don’t come to pass, the fact remains that Europe is killing itself. If I were there, I would get out as quickly as possible, regardless of what religion I was.
God Bless Barcelona’s chief Rabbi: he is speaking the truth.
I mentioned that in the OP. I just can’t find anything that analyzes how well that program is working. It had lots of difficulties in implementing it. Thanks, Hypatia.
Practical question ?
How many of the Jews around the world can Israel take in and house ?
Also, if I was a Jew in Europe I would want to migrate to Israel . Pronto !
Shame on Spain, and frankly all of Western Civilization, for allowing this to develop. We should be wiping out these extremists at all costs.
I don’t think there are any limits, Kevin. Somehow they will find the space–much of the desert is still empty and can be developed architecturally and otherwise. The doors will forever be open. I don’t think they’re worried about overcrowding–yet!
This resonates so much with me. I only learned this week that my genes are 7% Sephardic Jew. I had no idea. My lack of knowledge regarding the Alhambra Decree and my subsequent research on the subject, really shook me. Should they leave? I can’t imagine the pain of having to make that decision.
I can’t imagine considering that question, either, Trink. When I was in Spain, I went looking for an old synagogue that was mentioned in my tour book. I kept walking up and down the street, looking for it, but it wasn’t where they said it was. I suddenly looked up, and on the wall was a small plaque, commemorating that synagogue. You wouldn’t know it was there if you didn’t look up. There was just the wall in its place.
We should welcome them here. Jews have been an asset pretty much wherever they’ve been.
Thanks, Randy. Some would say that even here, Jews are still in exile. Although there’s very little of it, there is still anti-Semitism, too.
That’s what I was thinking. I’ll bet Trump would be open to expanded Jewish immigration from any countries where the anti-semitic threat is ramping up?
Well, maybe. But at least here there aren’t hostile neighbors threatening to lob rockets at you, or slaughter your kids in their beds. (That is, I would imagine that for some, America might seem a safer bet).
I am 100% Ashkenazi Jewish, on both sides of my family. I have been to Israel, and I couldn’t live there, the climate is just too inhospitable for me (and I’m spoiled by living in the Pacific Northwest). But if I were a European Jew, I would sure move to Israel. The United States of America is the world’s most hospitable place for diaspora Jews, but there are pockets of anti-Israel sentiment, mostly on college campuses (which seem to be cesspools of all kinds of hatred these days). What worries me the most in America is the large number of American Jews who have gone over to the Dark Side, in support of the BDS movement. It just goes to show you that Liberals are Liberal first, and everything else later, even Jewish.
Unfortunately there are Jews who are self-hating or who criticize Israel for any number of reasons. You’re right RB49; they are Liberals first.
Like the poor, the blockheads will always be with us.
My evil twin steps from the shadows at last!
Who knew?!
There has been a sudden upsurge in the last few months in Europe in concern about anti-semitism. This has of course coincided with the election of President Trump and it is premised on the notion that Trump is some sort of Neo-Nazi and if he is for it then one must be against it. The campaign of Marine le Pen was also a factor.
In previous years horrors such as those that occurred in Toulouse, Paris, Brussels, etc were given scant attention. Few seemed to care that Jewish kids needed protection to get to certain schools, most notably in France.
I don’t think there’s any sincerity in these purported concerns for Jews. When Trump is gone the pretence will disappear.
As to Susan’s question- I think it is clear that increasing Muslim immigration to Europe does put Jews at risk and that risk will not decrease. I don’t believe there is any serious physical risk from the far- right although that notional risk is talked up for Trump-related reasons.
In the meantime, here’s a photo of Dublin City Hall I took in May of this year. The flag on the right is Palestinian, courtesy of the left-leaning City Council (since aped by other local authorities).
Post Christian Europe doesn’t have the will to stand up for themselves let alone minorities.
Oh, for the love of…Can we make the stupid stop?
Trink -did you do the DNA analysis? I was against that and now I’m rethinking it. Also, I am not fully understanding the Jewish persecution in Europe in 2017 – I don’t understand it. We went through that – is it because of the Muslim migration? Is it because the Palestinian conflict has dragged on for decades? What is the reason? Is it similar to the Christian persecution across the Middle East and around the world?
That’s pathetic – given the price that was paid so many times.
When Trump is gone the pretense will disappear? Poland seemed to be pleased with Trump. There are no decent journalists in Europe who can get a handle on this?
Oh my gosh, Charles! A Palestinian flag? What are the other two? I appreciate your confirming my own views, but I wish we were both wrong. Thanks.
All the reasons you list, FSC. Remember, Jewish persecution has always existed, so it’s nothing new. You would hope the world was past all that, but everyone needs a scapegoat. I hate to sound paranoid, but that’s how it looks to me.
I did. Two of my other sibs had done it and urged me to do so. It really is so interesting. Ancestry.
OOOPS. Sorry about the duplicate :) I did. Two of my sibs had done it and urged me to. Ancestry.
…yet again
The flag in the centre is the Irish Tricolour. The one on the left I’m not 100% about but when I enlarge the photo it looks like the EU flag. Which would be entirely appropriate.
Man cannot live on bread alone. Post-modernism and white guilt doesn’t let Europeans see the goodness in their societies. Douglas Murray details this beautifully in his book, The Strange Death of Europe.