Spain: From the Inquisition to Hamas
At Spain’s traditional bull run, held this July 2026 during the chupinazo that opens the San Fermín festivities, a crowd unfurled a banner reading “Destroy Israel.” The scene, which seems like something out of a horror film, is unfortunately real. Being Jewish in Spain today requires extreme caution.
Just months earlier, on March 10, 2026, Spain had permanently withdrawn its ambassador from Israel, deepening a diplomatic standoff driven by Madrid’s opposition to Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran. The move marked another chapter in the deterioration of bilateral relations, strained since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in October 2023.
Religious persecution on a global scale
Meanwhile, the world is witnessing one of the largest waves of Christian persecution in history. According to Open Doors, around 388 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
Countries with extreme persecution of Christians:
North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and Mali.
Countries with severe persecution of Christians:
Burkina Faso, China, Iraq, Maldives, Algeria, Mauritania, Central African Republic, Morocco, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Niger, Tajikistan, Laos, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Tunisia, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Oman, Mozambique, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Egypt, Comoros, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Colombia, Chad, Jordan, and Brunei.
Most of these nations are majority Muslim, including Iran, which appears on the list of extreme persecution.
Iran’s role and funding of Hamas
According to Open Doors, Iran has a population of about 90.4 million, of which only 800,000 are Christians — less than 1%. The U.S. State Department reported in 2021 that Iran allocates roughly $100 million annually to Hamas and other extremist groups. Iran is recognized as one of Hamas’s main financiers and has repeatedly threatened to annihilate the State of Israel.
Dark times and echoes of the Inquisition
We are living through dark times in global diplomacy. Western nations with Judeo-Christian traditions are choosing to align themselves with authoritarian regimes and radical religious movements, repeating the mistakes of the past. Spain, historically marked by the Inquisition, persecuted Christians deemed heretics as well as Jews.
According to the Brazilian Jewish magazine Morashá, torture methods such as the rack, the wheel, the pendulum, and water torture were used to force confessions. Thousands were crippled or driven insane, and the property of the accused was confiscated. Many were burned alive in public squares, in one of the most brutal chapters of Spanish history.
The October 7 attack
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated assault on Israel by land, air, and sea. Approximately 1,200 people were killed, including men, women, children, and the elderly. Entire communities were invaded, homes set ablaze, and families massacred. Reports confirm rapes, mutilations, and summary executions. Jewish infants were decapitated or burned alive.
Despite this, Spain chose to side against Israel, reinforcing its diplomatic rupture and drawing closer to nations that support Islamic radicalism.
Bodies of 40 babies and children were reportedly found in a community attacked by Hamas (Jovem Pan News in Portuguese)
