From Conquistadors to Critics: Spain, Show Some Humility Please
Spain has been one of the European countries most outspoken against Israel. In addition to scathing condemnations from its leaders, including an infamous remark by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez lamenting his lack of nuclear bombs to use in defense of Palestine, Spain has seen some of the most rabid anti- Israel protests on the continent.
On Oct. 16th, after the ceasefire was announced, tens of thousands still protested in the streets of Barcelona and Madrid, breaking the windows of large business chains they believe cooperate with Israel. On September 14th, the final stage of the Vuelta bike race had to be cancelled when demonstrators, objecting to an Israeli team’s participation, overcame 1500 police officers to block the course.
But recently, Spain’s own atrocities from the distant past have been in the news. In 1519, Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortez landed in Mexico and began a reign of violence and terror which led to mass death and enslavement of the indigenous population. In 2019, then Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador requested Spain’s king finally issue a formal apology. At the time Spain refused, saying that long ago events cannot be judged by contemporary standards. But recently, it has begun to change its tune.
On Oct. 31st, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated regarding Mexico’s indigenous peoples, “There was injustice, it is right to acknowledge that today, and it is right to lament it, because that is part of our shared history and we cannot deny it or forget it.” Current Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed these remarks.
Of course, past atrocities are no reason to tolerate new ones. Throughout history, nearly every nation has been guilty of some sort of heinous crime or aggression. If we let that disqualify countries from speaking out now, we would doom ourselves to a world utterly devoid of morality or justice.
But there is a vital lesson history should teach us: Humility. A nation that once sent an army of outcasts to colonize, ethnically cleanse, and plunder a native people for God, glory, and gold ought to be a bit more retrospective before lobbing accusations of genocide against others.
Back in September Spain announced various sanctions against Israel, aimed at “stopping the genocide in Gaza, pursuing its perpetrators, and supporting the Palestinian population.” Not only did this cause no change at all in Israel’s Gaza policies, but it prompted Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, to reply angrily, accusing Spain of, “leading a hostile anti-Israeli line, with wild rhetoric dripping with hatred.” Sa’ar went on to site Spain’s past crimes against the Jewish people, including the inquisition and expulsion of Jews at the end of the 15th century, in accusing the Spanish government of being antisemitic.
No one wants to be lectured or talked down to. If Spain wants to make a difference, it must be sensitive to the fact that its own history is stained by atrocities far worse than those it claims to protest now.
What if instead of berating Israel with denouncements and furious demonstrations, Spain used its tainted history to help find common ground?
Spain could approach Israel as follows: We know all too well how easy it is to become blinded by one’s own ideology and convictions. Centuries ago, that led our country to commit such horrors that we are still being forced to apologize now. Let us help show you how you may be getting so caught up in your rhetoric of self-defense and security it may lead you to take actions you will regret in the future.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said regarding the Spanish foreign minister’s remarks, “It’s a first step and it speaks to the importance of what we’ve always said: that apologies ennoble governments and peoples.”
For Spain, having to face its own past at the same time as it confronts Israel could be fortuitous. It should use its own honest reckoning with past atrocities to show it is not trying to belittle or humiliate, but rather to use its experience to guide Israel for its own good.
