Two disturbing incidents involving Israeli tourists in Spain have sparked concern amid newly released figures showing record levels of antisemitism in the country, reports Jewish News Syndicate.
In Lloret de Mar, near Barcelona, three Israeli tourists reported being stalked and threatened by a group of men during their holiday. According to Channel 12 News, the perpetrators—armed with sticks—chased the Israelis in the street. The group managed to escape safely to their hotel.
In a separate incident in Vigo, in northern Spain, a group of Israeli tourists were verbally assaulted and expelled from the Mimassa restaurant. A waiter, filmed by witnesses, shouted: “You sons of bitches, you kill people and come here on vacation. Get out of here.” He also reportedly added: “Long live free Palestine” and “I’m at your service, Nasrallah,” referencing the Hezbollah leader.
One of the Israelis, Shlomo Sror, told Enfoque Judío: “We weren’t afraid. When he asked us where we were from, we proudly told him we were Israeli.”
The footage went viral, prompting a police complaint for discrimination and a legal case launched by the Spanish pro-Israel group ACOM.
The Spain Observatory against Antisemitism, co-founded by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE), published its 2024 annual report, recording 193 antisemitic incidents—a 321% increase from 2023, and a staggering 567% rise since 2022.
The report linked most incidents to reactions over the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Earlier this year, Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism named Spain, Ireland, and South Africa as countries that “enable antisemitism through their selective criticism of Israel and abuse of the language of human rights.”
These governments have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel strongly rejects.
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