Spanish actor Javier Bardem has come under fire after sharing a social media post claiming that Israel stands to benefit from Spain's ongoing migrant crisis, prompting criticism from public figures, including the US Ambassador to Israel.
The controversy follows a sharp increase in illegal migration into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, which borders Morocco. Tens of thousands of migrants reportedly entered the territory over the past week, leading European leaders to call for stronger measures to secure the European Union's external borders. An emergency EU meeting has been scheduled to discuss the crisis.
Bardem, a longtime critic of Israel and supporter of the Palestinian cause, shared a post suggesting that Spain's outspoken criticism of Israel has made it a target. The post argued that although it is unclear who "engineered" the migration crisis, "we know who benefits from a weakened, destabilized Spain: Israel, and the Western far right eager to turn migration into a weapon against Muslims."
The post further claimed that Spain has become "Europe's loudest voice" against what it described as Israeli and US "war crimes" in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, and asserted that the migration crisis was intended to punish the Spanish government for its stance against Israel.
Morocco, which borders Ceuta, normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a series of US-brokered agreements reached during President Donald Trump's first term that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab states. Relations between Jerusalem and Rabat have since expanded in the areas of trade, tourism and security cooperation.
The post shared by Bardem also referenced a 2019 social media post by Yair Netanyahu, son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In that post, Yair Netanyahu published a map of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla with the caption, "Dear Arabs and Muslims. Want to free occupied Arab Islamic lands? Here's a good start!"
After the post sparked criticism, Netanyahu said he had intended to highlight what he viewed as European hypocrisy regarding Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria. He argued that Spain maintains territories on the African continent while simultaneously urging Israel to withdraw from areas it considers part of the Jewish homeland. He also called on Spain to stop funding organizations that advocate Israeli withdrawals from Judea and Samaria.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government is cooperating with Morocco to combat human trafficking networks, strengthen security in Ceuta and deport migrants who entered the territory illegally.