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{{short description|'''Spain: its Jewish community, the Sephardic nationality law, recognition of Palestine and its arms embargo'''}}<br />
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).<ref name="WJCES">World Jewish Congress, [https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/ES Community in Spain] ''worldjewishcongress.org'', accessed 25 October 2026.</ref> Spain recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024,<ref name="ReutersES2024">Inti Landauro, Conor Humphries and Gwladys Fouche, [https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-ireland-norway-set-recognise-palestinian-statehood-2024-05-28/ Spain, Ireland and Norway recognise Palestinian statehood] ''Reuters'', 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref> and in October 2025 its parliament made a total arms embargo on "Israel" law.<ref name="AJES2025">Tim Hume, [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/8/spains-parliament-formally-approves-israel-arms-embargo Spain's parliament formally approves Israel arms embargo] ''Al Jazeera'', 8 October 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref><br />
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==Jewish community==<br />
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.<ref name="WJCES" /><br />
===Chabad===<br />
:''Main article: [[Chabad-Lubavitch movement]]''<br />
The WJC notes that there are independent Chabad communities in Spain.<ref name="WJCES" /><br />
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==Sephardic nationality law==<br />
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.<ref name="WJCES" /><br />
==Israeli state and commercial ties==<br />
===Diplomacy===<br />
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.<ref name="MFA2011">Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110805075305/http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/about%20the%20ministry/diplomatic%20missions/Israel-s%20Diplomatic%20Missions%20Abroad Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations] ''mfa.gov.il'', archived 5 August 2011.</ref> 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.<ref name="WJCES" /><br />
===Recognition of Palestine===<br />
Spain, Ireland and Norway recognised a Palestinian state on 28 May 2024; "Israel" withdrew its ambassadors from the three capitals.<ref name="ReutersES2024" /> 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".<ref name="Moncloa2024">La Moncloa, [https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/gobierno/councilministers/paginas/2024/20240528-council-press-conference.aspx Government of Spain approves recognition of the State of Palestine] ''lamoncloa.gob.es'', 28 May 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref><br />
===Arms embargo===<br />
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".<ref name="AJES2025" /> The Israeli embassy called the original timing of the vote, on the anniversary of 7 October, "perverse, inhuman, and abhorrent".<ref name="EFE2025">EFE, [https://efe.com/latest-news/2025-10-08/spanish-parliament-approves-arms-embargo-on-israel/ Spanish parliament approves arms embargo on Israel] ''EFE'', 8 October 2025, accessed 25 October 2026.</ref><br />
===Arms trade===<br />
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).<ref name="SIPRI">Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, [https://armstransfers.sipri.org SIPRI Arms Transfers Database] ''SIPRI'', trade register for Israel as supplier, 1950–2025, data generated 20 October 2026.</ref><br />
===Trade===<br />
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).<ref name="CBS">Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel), [https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2026/fr_trade12_2025/td1.pdf Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly, Table D1: Trade Countries – Imports and Exports] ''CBS'', December 2025 issue (library copy).</ref><br />
==Political interference==<br />
===UN voting===<br />
Spain voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.<ref name="UNNY2025">United Nations General Assembly, [https://www.alquds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Voting-rec-L.1-Rev.1.pdf 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'').</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Austria]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Czechia]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Hungary]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Poland]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Portugal]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Slovakia]]<br />
*[[Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Switzerland]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
<references/><br />
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[[Category:Zionist movement|Spain]]<br />
[[Category:Spain]]<br />
[[Category:Europe|Spain]]</div>Geography Bot