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Spain-Israel tensions flare and multiple Spanish synagogues are hit with anti-Israel graffiti

MADRID (JTA) — Political tensions escalated between Israel and Spain this past week as Spanish Jews reeled from a series of incidents outside synagogues.

Ione Belarra, Spain’s acting social rights minister, called to “urgently suspend diplomatic relations with the state of Israel” on Wednesday, citing Israel’s response in Gaza to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that killed over 1,400. 

“We ask our partner that, as the Government of Spain, we bring Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for war crimes,” she said earlier in the week in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Without using specific names, the Israeli embassy in Madrid called on Spanish President Pedro Sanchez to condemn the “shameful statements” of some members of his government who have chosen to “align themselves with the terrorism” of Hamas.

The statement added that some in government have endangered “the security of the Jewish communities in Spain, exposing them to the risk of a greater number of antisemitic incidents and attacks.”

Multiple Spanish synagogues have been hit with graffiti tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has also led to thousands of deaths in Gaza. Madrid’s main synagogue in the heart of the Chamberí district was defaced with graffiti that read “Free Palestine” next to a crossed-out Star of David the day after the Oct. 7 attacks. “Free Palestine” was also sprayed throughout a medieval Jewish neighborhood in Catalonia, which is home to Barcelona.

In Melilla, a small Spanish enclave nestled on the North African coast near Morocco, a group of protesters gathered in front of a synagogue shouting “murderous Israel” and “freedom for the Muslim people” while burning an Israeli flag, forcing police to intervene.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares summoned Israel’s ambassador to Madrid, Rodica Radian-Gordon, on Monday afternoon, expressing his government’s displeasure over the Israeli embassy’s statement, as El Pais reported. Albares termed the statement an “unfriendly gesture.”

Albares’ ministry also issued a statement in response, asserting that they “categorically reject the falsehoods expressed in the Israeli Embassy’s statement about some of its members and does not accept unfounded insinuations about them.” 

“In any case, the position of the Government of Spain as a whole with respect to the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas is clear: categorical condemnation, demand for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself within the limits set by International Law and International Humanitarian Law,” the statement continued.

Despite Albares’ statements, Belarra, who is part of the left-wing populist Podemos party, continued to sharply condemn Israel’s policies throughout the week. Yolanda Diaz, acting second vice president and leader of the left-wing Sumar party, said that recognition of a Palestinian state should be one of the first measures of the country’s next political coalition, which no party has successfully formed since July elections.

In a statement condemning the protests in Melilla, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain wrote in a news release that anti-Israel graffiti has also been found in the Jewish quarter of the medieval town of Besalú, on the door of a synagogue in Girona and outside the house of a Jewish family in Madrid.

Historically, Melilla has been known for its sizable Jewish population, and they have been targeted by protesters in past flare-ups in the Middle East. Many of Melilla’s residents, however, have prided themselves on a culture of peaceful cultural and religious coexistence between Jews, Muslims and Christians for more than a century and a half.

The mayor of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda, said he hopes that the “exemplary coexistence” of the city’s different cultures is not affected by “external conflicts.”

Rates of antisemitism, while historically high in Spain, have dropped significantly in recent years. According to a 2023 report from the Anti-Defamation League, Spain now boasts one of the lowest rates of antisemitic incidents in Europe. 

The president of Colombia has also sharply condemned Israel online in the past week and floated the possibility of completely cutting ties with Jerusalem.


The post Spain-Israel tensions flare and multiple Spanish synagogues are hit with anti-Israel graffiti appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

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Iranian National Charged in Plot to Subvert US Sanctions Against Islamic Republic

Iranians participating in a memorial ceremony for IRGC commanders and nuclear scientists in downtown Tehran, Iran, on July 2, 2025. Photo: Morteza Nikoubazl via Reuters Connect.

Federal law enforcement officials have arrested an Iranian national after uncovering his alleged conspiracy to export US technology to Tehran in violation of a slew of economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday.

For May 2018 to July 2025, Bahram Mohammad Ostovari, 66, allegedly amassed “railway signaling and telecommunications systems” for transport to the Iranian government by using “two front companies” located in the United Arab Emirates. After filing fake orders for them with US vendors at Ostovari’s direction, the companies shipped the materials — which included “sophisticated computer processors” — to Tehran, having duped the US businesses into believing that they “were the end users.”

The Justice Department continued, “After he became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in May 2020, Ostovari continued to export, sell, and supply electronics and electrical components to [his company] in Iran,” noting that the technology became components of infrastructure projects commissioned by the Islamic Republic.

Ostovari has been charged with four criminal counts for allegedly violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), under which conducting business with Iran is proscribed due to the country’s human rights abuses, material support for terrorism, and efforts to build a larger-scale nuclear program in violation of international non-proliferation obligations. Each count carries a 20-year maximum sentence in federal prison.

Ostovari is one of several Iranian nationals to become the subject of criminal proceedings involving crimes against the US this year.

In April, a resident of Great Falls, Virginia — Abouzar Rahmati, 42 — pleaded guilty to collecting intelligence on US infrastructure and providing it to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“From at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati worked with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives to act on their behalf in the United States, including by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers and government officials using a cover story to hide his conduct,” the Justice Department said at the time, noting that Rahmati even infiltrated a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that possesses “sensitive non-public information about the US aviation sector.”

Throughout the duration of his cover, Rahmati amassed “open-source and non-public materials about the US solar energy industry,” which he delivered to “Iranian intelligence officers.”

The government found that the operation began in August 2017, after Rahmati “offered his services” to a high-ranking Iranian government official who had once been employed by the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to the Justice Department. Months later, he traveled to Iran, where Iranian agents assigned to him the espionage activity to which he pleaded guilty to perpetrating.

“Rahmati sent additional material relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, US airports, and US air traffic control towers to his brother, who lived in Iran, so that he would provide those files to Iranian intelligence on Rahmati’s behalf,” the Justice Department continued. Rahmati also, it said, delivered 172 gigabytes worth of information related to the National Aerospace System (NAS) — which monitors US airspace, ensuring its safety for aircraft — and NAS Airport Surveillance to Iran during a trip he took there.

Rahmati faces up to 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced in August.

In November, three Iranian intelligence assets were charged with contriving a conspiracy to assassinate critics of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as then US President-elect Donald Trump.

According to the Justice Department, Farhad Shakeri, 51; Carlisle Rivera, 49; and Jonathan Loadholt, 36, acted at the direction of and with help from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an internationally designated terrorist organization, to plot to murder a US citizen of Iranian origin in New York. Shakeri, who remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran, was allegedly the principal agent who managed the two other men, both residents of New York City who appeared in court.

Their broader purpose, prosecutors said, was to target nationals of the United States and its allies for attacks, including “assaults, kidnapping, and murder, both to repress and silence critical dissidents” and to exact revenge for the 2020 killing of then-IRGC Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Iraq. Trump was president of the US at the time of the operation.

All three men are now charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy, and money laundering. Shakeri faces additional charges, including violating sanctions against Iran, providing support to a terrorist organization, and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Powers Act, offenses for which he could serve up to six decades in federal prison.

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post Iranian National Charged in Plot to Subvert US Sanctions Against Islamic Republic first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Kosher Israeli Restaurant Vandalized in Athens Amid Surge in Antisemitic Attacks Across Europe

A man waves a Palestinian flag as pro-Hamas demonstrators protest next to the Greek parliament, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Athens, Greece, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

An Israeli restaurant in Athens, Greece, was vandalized on Saturday night in one of the latest incidents amid a surge of antisemitic attacks across Europe, prompting a police investigation into the suspected hate crime.

In a video shared on social media, a group of six individuals can be seen entering King David Burger — a local kosher restaurant that opened just a month ago — scattering pamphlets and spraying black paint across walls, tables, and other surfaces throughout the establishment.

The group of pro-Palestinian activists shouted antisemitic slurs and vandalized the establishment with graffiti, including slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here.”

The attackers also posted a sign on one of the restaurant’s windows that read, “All IDF soldiers are war criminals — we don’t want you here,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

According to local reports, many Israelis in Athens gathered outside the restaurant after the attack, with some singing “Am Israel Chai” (“The People of Israel Live”) as a show of solidarity.

The restaurant owner urged local authorities in Athens to take swift action and hold the perpetrators accountable.

“It would be a shame for the Israelis to leave Athens,” Zvika Levinson, the restaurant’s owner, told Israel Hayom. “But if authorities don’t act, the situation will not be good.”

Police reportedly told the owner that without clear identification of the individuals in the video, they are unable to make any arrests.

Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe. This recent attack is just one of the latest in a wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes that Greece and other countries have witnessed in recent months.

Last month, an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they overheard him using Google Maps in Hebrew while navigating through Athens.

When the attackers realized the victim was speaking Hebrew, they began physically assaulting him while shouting antisemitic slurs.

Although local police arrived promptly, a large crowd had already gathered outside the restaurant where the victim had sought shelter.

At first, authorities mistakenly arrested the victim, accusing him of the attack. However, after video footage clarified the situation, they apologized and took him to the nearest hospital.

The post Kosher Israeli Restaurant Vandalized in Athens Amid Surge in Antisemitic Attacks Across Europe first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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NYC Mayor’s Office Accuses Comptroller of Aiding BDS With ‘Withdrawal’ of Millions From Israel Bonds

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends an “October 7: One Year Later” commemoration to mark the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack in Israel at the Summer Stage in Central Park on October 7, 2024, in New York City. Photo: Ron Adar/ SOPA Images via Reuters Connect

The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams has accused Comptroller Brad Lander of pushing a political agenda and advancing the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement by withdrawing tens of millions of dollars in city pension funds from bonds issued by the Jewish state.

In a letter to Lander dated July 10 and first shared with the media on Sunday, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro demanded a full accounting of the comptroller’s decision-making regarding the investments in Israel Bonds.

New York City’s holdings in Israel-issued bonds have plunged from “tens of millions of dollars” to just $1.2 million in the Police Pension Fund during Lander’s tenure, reversing a longstanding pattern of reinvestment stretching back to 1974, according to the letter.

Lander subsequently confirmed to The Forward that city pension funds currently hold no investments in Israel Bonds, noting the purchase by the Police Pension Fund was made by a fund manager but has since been sold.

Mastro wrote that Lander’s decisions “appears to be in furtherance of [the] BDS campaign, regardless of the adverse financial consequences for city pensioner.”

The BDS movement seeks to isolate Israel on the international stage as the first step toward its elimination. Leaders of the movement have repeatedly stated their goal is to destroy the world’s only Jewish state.

City records show that Israel Bonds, historically yielding approximately 5 percent annually, outperformed many alternatives, and critics such as Mastro have argued the abrupt exit is financially irresponsible.

Meanwhile, Adams has promoted his own pro-Israel push, noting last month’s formation of the inaugural New York City–Israel Economic Council aimed at boosting trade and innovation with the Jewish state. In a press event, Adams repudiated Lander, saying that the comptroller “was elected to safeguard New York City’s financial future, yet he continues to pander to the antisemitic BDS movement at the expense of taxpayer dollars and our city’s best interests. New Yorkers deserve to know why.”

Lander’s office swiftly defended the move, describing it as consistent with a longstanding policy to avoid foreign sovereign debt, rather than a targeted divestment linked to Israel.

“Lander has never divested,” a spokesperson for Lander said in March, noting at the time that the city continued to hold over $400 million in investments in Israeli companies.

As of May, Lander said city pension funds still held more than $315 million in Israel-based assets, mostly in common stock and some in Israeli real estate investment trusts.

Lander, who is Jewish, claimed that his predecessors made “politically motivated choices” to treat Israel in a more “favorable way” than other countries.

“As a Jew, I am proud that we have these investments in Israel,” Lander told The Forward. “But I’m not allowed to make investments for that reason. They have to make financial sense to be consistent with our policies and my fiduciary duty.”

A representative for the comptroller told the New York Post that Mastro’s accusations are a “cynical effort by the Adams administration to weaponize antisemitism against the highest ranking Jewish elected official in New York City government.”

The battle has reverberated across New York City’s political landscape, tapping into deep divisions over foreign policy, fiscal stewardship, and community allegiance. Adams, running as an independent for reelection this fall, is courting Jewish constituents and warning Lander’s withdrawal of bonds signals “pandering” to anti-Israel sentiment.

Lander stoked outrage among the Big Apple’s Jewish community when he recently aligned with Zohran Mamdani, a progressive firebrand who backs the BDS movement and is running for mayor. Lander’s support for the anti-Israel politician has raised scrutiny regarding his motives in ending investments into Israeli bonds. Zionist advocacy groups and pension experts are demanding transparency, questioning whether the city actually missed out on returns typically delivered by Israel Bonds.

Although Lander has repeatedly affirmed his belief in Israel’s “right to exist,” he has suggested that controversial slogans such as “globalize the intifada” might not be inherently supportive of violence. He has also refused to defend Israel from accusations of committing “genocide” in Gaza, saying that he believes the word is offensive to the Jewish community because it evokes memories of the Holocaust.

Mastro’s letter sets a July 17 deadline for full documentation of Lander’s policy concerning Israel Bonds.

The post NYC Mayor’s Office Accuses Comptroller of Aiding BDS With ‘Withdrawal’ of Millions From Israel Bonds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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