Jewish communities face rising attacks as hostile rhetoric against Israel corrodes public safety across Spain.
Antisemitic offenses in Spain rose sharply by 86% last year, according to a Spanish government report, as the country recorded its highest number of hate incidents since official tracking began in 2014.
The Interior Ministry said Jews were targeted in 69 hate crimes and incidents in 2025, compared with 37 in 2024. Islamophobic incidents also increased, rising from 15 to 35 cases.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said authorities documented 2,417 total hate incidents during the year, marking a disturbing national record. Spain is home to around 70,000 Jews, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.
The ministry defined antisemitism as hatred, violence, or discrimination directed against Jews or nationals of the State of Israel.
The surge comes as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has become one of Europe’s harshest critics of Israel, repeatedly accusing Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. Spain imposed a full arms embargo on Israel in 2025 and permanently withdrew its ambassador in March after a sharp diplomatic breakdown between the two countries.
The Interior Ministry said racism and xenophobia accounted for the largest category of hate offenses, with 934 cases. Grande-Marlaska also criticized public officials whose rhetoric, he argued, has legitimized and amplified hate speech.
His remarks came as the far-right Vox party pushed a “national priority” policy favoring Spaniards over others in access to public benefits. Grande-Marlaska described the policy as institutionalized xenophobia.
Vox, despite its hardline immigration stance and controversial past associations, has strongly supported Israel. Its leader Santiago Abascal visited Israel in 2024 to back Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Sánchez recognized a Palestinian state.
The report highlights a troubling reality for Spain’s Jewish community: antisemitism is rising while political hostility toward Israel has become increasingly aggressive, creating an atmosphere where Jews and Israelis face growing vulnerability.
