Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Spain
Spain: its Jewish community, the Sephardic nationality law, recognition of Palestine and its arms embargo
About 12,900 Jews lived in Spain in 2024, according to an estimate by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research cited by the World Jewish Congress (WJC).[1] Spain recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024,[2] and in October 2025 its parliament made a total arms embargo on "Israel" law.[3]
Jewish community
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (Federación de Comunidades Judías de España) is the WJC's affiliate; most Jews live in Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga, with communities in Ceuta and Melilla, and there are also independent Conservative and Chabad communities.[1]
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
The WJC notes that there are independent Chabad communities in Spain.[1]
Sephardic nationality law
In 2015 the Spanish parliament voted to offer citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled in 1492, subject to vetting by the federation and proof of a "special connection" to Spain. According to the WJC, 6,432 people had obtained citizenship by March 2018; the law was extended to October 2019.[1]
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy
The Israeli foreign ministry's 2011 list of missions records relations with Spain as established in January 1986, with "Israel" represented by its embassy in Madrid.[4] The WJC says that the two countries did not establish diplomatic ties until 1986. The Israeli embassy is at Calle Velázquez 150-7, 28002 Madrid.[1]
Recognition of Palestine
Spain, Ireland and Norway recognised a Palestinian state on 28 May 2024; "Israel" withdrew its ambassadors from the three capitals.[2] Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called the decision a "historic milestone" and said that the Palestinian people "have a right to a future of hope, just as the people of Israel have a right to a future of peace and security".[5]
Arms embargo
On 8 October 2025 the Congress of Deputies voted 178 to 169 to ratify Royal Decree-Law 10/2025 of 23 September 2025, which bans exports and imports of defence equipment and dual-use technology to and from "Israel", the transit of fuel or material with potential military use, and the advertising of products from Israeli settlements. Its preamble says that "Israel's response to the terrible attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, has ended up becoming an indiscriminate attack against the Palestinian population that the majority of experts have called genocide".[3] The Israeli embassy called the original timing of the vote, on the anniversary of 7 October, "perverse, inhuman, and abhorrent".[6]
Arms trade
Before the embargo, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recorded Spanish purchases of 2,630 Spike-LR anti-tank missiles (a EUR328 million deal from 2006, with licensed production in Spain), Spike-ER missiles for Tiger helicopters (2022), Litening-5 pods produced under licence in Spain (2022), Searcher drones for use in Afghanistan (2007) and Orbiter loitering munitions (2018).[7]
Trade
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that "Israel" imported goods worth $2,199.1 million from Spain in 2025 (2024: $2,146.2 million) and exported goods worth $1,004.3 million to it (2024: $941.1 million).[8]
Political interference
UN voting
Spain voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[9]
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Austria
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Czechia
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Hungary
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Poland
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Portugal
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Slovakia
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Switzerland
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 World Jewish Congress, Community in Spain worldjewishcongress.org, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Inti Landauro, Conor Humphries and Gwladys Fouche, Spain, Ireland and Norway recognise Palestinian statehood Reuters, 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tim Hume, Spain's parliament formally approves Israel arms embargo Al Jazeera, 8 October 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ La Moncloa, Government of Spain approves recognition of the State of Palestine lamoncloa.gob.es, 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ EFE, Spanish parliament approves arms embargo on Israel EFE, 8 October 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database SIPRI, trade register for Israel as supplier, 1950–2025, data generated 20 October 2026.
- ↑ Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports CBS, December 2025 issue (library copy).
- ↑ United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).