A street name sign honoring a Spanish Jew was damaged in the southern Spanish city of Torremolinos amid a debate over the municipality’s decision to celebrate Hanukkah. The sign named for David Haim Melul, the founder of the local Jewish community, was knocked down last week, two months after it was put up, the online…
Spain’s king honored Sephardic Jews at a ceremony recognizing a new law that confers citizenship on the descendants of those banished during the Inquisition. “Dear Sephardim, thank you for your loyalty,” King Felipe VI told representatives of Sephardim from various countries at the royal palace on Monday, The Local-Spain news website reported. “Thank you for…
A far-left politician from the city of Cordoba in southern Spain said that a local Jewish music festival would need to be rethought if a motion she had submitted in favor of boycotting Israel passed. Amparo Pernichi, Cordoba’s alderwoman for landscape and infrastructure, linked Israel to the music festival during a news conference earlier this…
A town in northern Spain held an official ceremony to celebrate its name change from “kill Jews town.” In June, the town formerly known as Castrillo Matajudíos published its new name — Castrillo Mota de Judios, or Castrillo Jews’ Hill — in the official state gazette. The name change was approved by the regional government…
Spanish officials will begin reviewing citizenship applications by some 4,500 individuals who identified themselves as descendants of Sephardic Jews, the country’s Jewish communities said. The review is set to begin on Oct. 2 following the adoption and passing earlier this year of Law 12/2015 and a related amendment to the kingdom’s civil code, the Federation…
American Jewish reggae star Matisyahu sang his famous song “Jerusalem” as protesters waved Palestinian flags at a music festival in Spain. Matisyahu performed a 45-minute set early Sunday morning at the Rototom SunSplash Festival, two days after the festival apologized for canceling his performance in the face of pressure from the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and…
It looked like a big coup for a small-time player when a pro-Palestinian group in Spain’s third-largest city, BDS Pais Valencia, managed to convince an international reggae festival to cancel a closing-night performance by the American ex-Hasidic star Matisyahu. Instead, it blew up in its face. Spanish and international politicians, musicians and newspapers protested what…
The righteous uproar over the Matisyahu fiasco has dissipated as quickly as it started. Disquieting and galling as the Spanish music festival’s initial decision to disinvite the musician was, we really ought to celebrate: It’s one of the few victories we’ve had in a bad streak of stinging defeats. The cherry on top is that…
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