The Sins of Spain

29 Menachem Av 5786
Erev Rosh Chodesh
Yom Kippur Katan

"...Arise, O Jerusalem, you who has drunk from the hand of Hashem the cup of His fury, the phial of the cup of stupefaction have you drunk, have you drained.  

...Behold!  I have taken from your hand the cup of stupefaction, the phial of the cup of My fury; no longer shall you drink from it again.  But I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, 'Prostrate yourself, that we may step over you,' who set your body as the ground and as the street for wayfarers."  (Haftarat Shoftim, Yeshayahu 51.17, 22-23) 

The Alhambra Decree (1492 Edict of Expulsion)

...issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, ordering the expulsion of unconverted Jews from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.  Its primary purpose was to minimize the influence of the remaining Jews on Spain's large converso New Christian population, converted from Judaism, to minimize the possibility that the latter and their descendants would be able to secretly practice their former faith.

Over half of Spain's Jews had converted as a result of the religious persecution and pogroms which occurred in 1391.  Due to continuing attacks, around 50,000 more had converted by 1415.  A further number of those remaining chose to convert to avoid expulsion. As a result of the Alhambra Decree and persecution in the years leading up to the expulsion of Spain's estimated 300,000 Jewish origin population, a total of over 200,000 had converted to Catholicism in order to remain in Spain, and between 40,000 and 100,000 remained Jewish and suffered expulsion.  An unknown number of the expelled eventually succumbed to the pressures of life in exile away from formerly-Jewish relatives and networks back in Spain, and so converted to Catholicism to be allowed to return in the years following expulsion.

The Spanish Inquisition

The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ... was authorized by Pope Sixtus IV in 1478 and the first inquisitors, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martín, were appointed by the future Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, in 1480.  Although its stated aim was to maintain Christian orthodoxy, it became an effective instrument of state power by replacing the Medieval Inquisition, which was under Papal control.  Over the course of the Inquisition, the Inquisition prosecuted an estimated 150,000 people for various offences.  Of these, an estimated 3,000–5,000 were turned over to the state for execution, particularly in the initial 50 years, mostly by burning at the stake. Other punishments included penance and public flogging, exile, enslavement on galleys, and prison terms ranging from several years to life imprisonment.  According to Joseph Pérez an important aspect of many of these punishments was the profit motive confiscation of all the victims' property.  The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to identify heretics among those who converted from Judaism and Islam to Catholicism. The regulation of the faith of newly converted Catholics intensified following the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Jews and Muslims to either convert to Catholicism, leave Castile or face death.  Hundreds of thousands of forced conversions, torture and executions, the persecution of conversos and moriscos, and the mass expulsions of Jews and Muslims from Spain all followed.  An estimated 40,000–100,000 Jews were expelled in 1492.  Conversos were subjected to blood purity statutes (limpieza de sangre), which introduced racially-based discrimination and antisemitism, lasting into the 19th and 20th centuries.  The inquisition expanded to other domains under the Spanish Crown,....

Current Relations With the State of Israel 

Spain’s official position on Israel is highly critical, characterized by a major diplomatic rupture and a sharp condemnation of Israel's military actions. Under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Spain has positioned itself as one of the most vocal opponents of Israel within the European Union, moving from early support for Israel’s right to self-defense to direct diplomatic confrontation. 

The official stance is defined by several core policies and recent actions:

Permanent Diplomatic Downgrade

Ambassador Withdrawal:  In March 2026, Spain officially withdrew its ambassador to Israel. The Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv, alongside the Israeli Embassy in Madrid, is now permanently downgraded and led only by a chargé d'affaires. 

Rejection of Military Operations: Spain has officially condemned Israeli military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, and its early-2026 strikes on Iran, labeling them as flagrant violations of international law.

Comprehensive Sanctions and Embargoes

Total Arms Embargo: Spain maintains a strict and total arms embargo against Israel. This policy prohibits the sale or transfer of weapons and bars any third-party ship or aircraft carrying arms destined for Israel from utilizing Spanish ports or airspace.

EU Partnership Suspension: Spain, alongside Ireland, has officially petitioned the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel. Spain argues that Israel is breaching the human rights clauses embedded in the EU-Israel trade and cooperation pact.

Support for Palestinian Sovereignty

Two-State Solution: Spain’s foreign policy centers heavily on a two-state solution. Following its formal recognition of a Palestinian State in May 2024, Spain advocates for Palestinian self-determination and demands an immediate, unconditional ceasefire accompanied by unfettered humanitarian access.

Opposition to Settlements: Madrid heavily penalizes and condemns Israeli settler actions in the West Bank and opposes legislative actions like potential applications of the death penalty by the Israeli parliament.

Now, they are being called to account
 and judgment is being rendered... 

Spain has faced a relentless series of devastating natural disasters in 2026, alternating between historic winter flooding and unprecedented summer wildfires fueled by extreme heat waves.

The chronologically ordered list below covers the major disasters that have struck the country this year:

Winter Floods and Winter Storms (January – February 2026)

Following a heavily unstable start to the year, a sequence of severe atmospheric river events and named storms battered the Iberian Peninsula.

Late-December to Early-January Floods: Successive storm systems dumped intense rainfall over southern and eastern Spain, leading to severe flooding that damaged critical infrastructure in Málaga, Murcia, and the Valencian Community, resulting in three deaths.

Storm Francis (Early January): Hit already-saturated catchments in Andalusia, compounding the flood risk and severely damaging roadways.

The Late-January Severe Weather Front (Early February): A widespread system brought heavy rainfall, high wind gusts, and coastal floods to 33 provinces. High tides in Galicia produced waves up to 8 meters, while flooding triggered at least 30 major road closures in Cádiz.

Storms Kristin and Leonardo (Late January – Early February): Storm Leonardo alone forced the mass evacuation of over 11,000 people across southern Spain due to rapidly rising waters. 

Storm Marta (February 2026): Moving immediately behind Leonardo, Storm Marta dropped another wave of torrential rain over Andalusia, causing catastrophic agricultural damage to thousands of hectares of winter crops.

Extreme Heatwaves and Sahara Heat Dome (June – August 2026)

Historic June–July Heatwaves: Multiple consecutive heatwaves pushed hot, dry air masses from North Africa across mainland Spain, shattering historical temperature benchmarks. 

Record July Temperatures: According to the national weather agency, AEMET, July 2026 stood as mainland Spain's joint-hottest month since data collection began in 1961. Thermometers regularly spiked past 40°C to 45°C (104°F to 113°F). 

Saharan Dust ("Calima"): The extreme temperatures were worsened by recurring massive plumes of Saharan dust, causing severely degraded air quality and unsafe respiratory conditions nationwide. 

Historic Summer Wildfires (July – August 2026)

Supercharged by the country's driest July on record (only 26% of normal rainfall), explosive wildfires have consumed between 150,000 to 244,000 hectares of land, making 2026 one of Spain's deadliest fire seasons in decades.

The Almería Disaster (Early July): A fast-moving, devastating wildfire swept through the Almería province in Andalusia, killing 14 people and triggering a massive rescue operation.

Guadalajara Fire (Mid-July): A sweeping wildfire in the Sierra Norte Natural Park consumed over 32,000 hectares of protected land.

Madrid and Ávila National Emergency (Late July): Massive fires (such as the Burgohondo blaze) merged and threatened to expand out of control, prompting the Spanish government to declare a National Emergency. The fires forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents across towns like Villa del Prado and Navas del Rey.

August Blazes (Castellón, Segovia, and Huelva): In early August, new level-two severity fires broke out. In Castellón, over 700 people were abruptly evacuated due to heavy smoke, while wind gusts in Niebla (Huelva) pushed fires completely beyond the firefighting crew's ability to contain them.

Severe Storms and Flash Weather

While the dominant narrative is dry heat, the atmosphere has remained highly volatile. Spain has faced recurring bouts of severe weather and violent thunderstorms. These sudden, localized thermal storms have brought destructive lightning strikes—which have exacerbated the wildfire crisis—along with flash flooding and high wind gusts that have severely hampered firefighting efforts.

Solar Eclipse Threat: With a highly anticipated total solar eclipse occurring over Spain, authorities have deployed 35,000 emergency officers and closed down natural parks in regions like Valencia to prevent an influx of tourists from inadvertently sparking new disasters.

Major 2026 Border and Migration Crisis

In late July, Spain was hit by an unprecedented border breach in its North African enclave, Ceuta.

The Influx: Between July 30 and July 31, an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. Most individuals entered by swimming around breakwaters or walking along the shoreline after Moroccan border patrols temporarily ceased.

Tragic Toll: The chaotic crossing resulted in the deaths of over 100 people who drowned in the Mediterranean.

The Catalyst: Spanish authorities blamed human trafficking networks that weaponized a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling (which limited immediate deportations for migrants intercepted at sea) by spreading false social media claims that anyone reaching Ceuta could legally stay.  (Source: Gemini search)

Soon Spain will be "crossed" off the list.

It couldn't happen to a more deserving people.