French Jews visiting Barcelona said a mob targeted them with harassment near a synagogue, in what Spain’s main Jewish umbrella group warned could be one of the city’s most serious recent antisemitic incidents.
The incident began on Friday night after several Jews left a central synagogue in Barcelona while wearing kippahs following prayers and the Shabbat meal. Two members of the group were allegedly singled out as they walked toward their hotel.
A woman wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh approached the group of Jews, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain (FCJE) said in a statement Monday, shouting antisemitic abuse and repeatedly spitting at them. The victims alleged that dozens of others gradually joined the harassment, some arriving on bicycles, scooters and motorcycles, surrounding them as they made their way through the city’s waterfront.
According to the victims’ account, members of the crowd shouted, “Jews are not welcome in Barcelona,” “Baby killers” and “Israeli genocide,” while preventing them from walking freely. The group said they feared they were about to be physically attacked until they reached the Hotel Arts, where security staff prevented the alleged pursuers from entering. The harassment went on for 90 minutes, FCJE said, citing testimonies.
“If confirmed, this would be one of the most serious episodes of antisemitic harassment recorded in Barcelona in recent years,” the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain said.
The FCJE and the Jewish Community of Barcelona said they are collecting evidence and considering filing criminal complaints. They appealed for witnesses or anyone with photos or videos from the Port Olímpic waterfront and the area around the Hotel Arts and Sofitel on the night of July 3 to come forward.
The Federation said the alleged assault came amid a broader increase in antisemitic incidents in Barcelona, pointing to the desecration of the Montjuïc Jewish cemetery, antisemitic vandalism, intimidation of community members and threats against Jews in recent months.
Spain is one of four European Union member countries that have intervened in South Africa’s 2023 lawsuit for alleged genocide against Israel, widely understood as an endorsement of the suit. The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, last year called Israel a “genocidal state.” Israel has accused the Spanish government of fomenting antisemitic hatred with its anti-Israel policies.
The Observatorio de Antisemitismo en España, a watchdog on antisemitism established by FCJE, recorded 207 antisemitic incidents in Spain in 2025, compared to 193 in 2024, 60 in 2023, and 34 in 2022.
The police department of Barcelona did not reply in time for the publication of this article to a query by JNS on the events described by FCJE.
