{
  "id": 5402431,
  "title": "Antisemitic incidents in Spain rise 14.5% as watchdog warns hatred is being normalized",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/antisemitic-incidents-in-spain-rise-14-5-as-watchdog-warns-hatred-is",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T20:12:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907555"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) and a watchdog group have reported a 14.5% increase in antisemitic incidents in Spain in 2025, cautioning that hatred is being \"normalized.\" The FCJE recorded 221 incidents last year, up from 193 in 2024, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Movement Against Intolerance (MCI), a Spanish human rights organization. Spain is home to an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 Jews. This trend is consistent with an increase in hate crimes documented by the Spanish government. In June, the Interior Ministry reported that Jews were targeted in 69 hate crimes and incidents in 2025, compared to 37 in 2024. The FCJE monitors incidents reported by community members, social media, and other sources, whereas the government's data reflects officially reported or detected crimes. The recent report resulted from the Observatory of Antisemitism, a joint project by the FCJE and the MCI, established to track antisemitism since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's subsequent attack in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Jews in Spain have been required to implement security measures at gathering places, with children going to school under police protection, and insults and discrimination have become part of their daily reality. FCJE president David Obadia expressed his concerns, stating that the government, politicians, media, and opinion leaders should be more vigilant in preventing this situation. FCJE spokesperson María Royo attributed the rise in antisemitic incidents to \"campaigns against Israel,\" claiming that some groups blame all Jews for Israel's actions in Gaza. Royo emphasized the need for the security forces to do everything within their power, but also called on the government, politicians, media, and opinion leaders to be more rigorous and careful in preventing antisemitism. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is among Europe's most vocal critics of Israel, accusing it of committing genocide, which the Israeli government strongly denies and calls Spain antisemitic. Esteban Ibarra, the president of the MCI, emphasized the distinction between antisemitism and debates about Israel, warning that tolerance, normalization, or minimization of antisemitism can deteriorate coexistence and weaken democracy.",
  "summary": "Antisemitic incidents in Spain increased in 2025, according to a report by Jewish groups that cited vandalism, harassment and other attacks while warning against the normalization of hate.",
  "key_points": [
    "Antisemitic incidents in Spain increased 14.5% in 2025",
    "FCJE recorded 221 incidents, up from 193 in 2024",
    "Rise attributed to campaigns against Israel"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}