A Barcelona bathhouse apologized on Sunday for the exclusion of Jewish visitors from an event held on its premises after a Spanish-Jewish advocacy group said it had initiated legal action over what it called antisemitic discrimination.
Sauna Thermas said on Sunday that it “completely dissociates itself” from the actions and comments of organizers of a May 29 private event, during which staff were filmed questioning Jewish visitors about Zionism before ejecting them from the establishment.
“We strongly condemn prohibiting someone’s entry because they wear symbols of their identity, culture or religion, such as the Star of David,” the management said in a statement.
Lamentamos profundamente y condenamos de manera categórica los hechos ocurridos en nuestro local.
— Sauna Thermas (@SaunaThermas) May 31, 2026
Queremos expresar con absoluta claridad que rechazamos cualquier forma de antisemitismo, racismo, xenofobia, discriminación o conducta que atente contra la dignidad de las personas. pic.twitter.com/qXjNGpQB9F
The apology came after Action and Communication on the Middle East (ACOM) announced that its legal team had initiated criminal, administrative and civil proceedings against Sauna Thermas and other parties it holds responsible for the incident.
The spa also said it had decided that the group “Bolleras al Vapor,” which organized the event, would no longer be permitted to hold events at its facilities.
On Friday, two women filmed another woman asking them: “Are you a Zionist person?” at the bathhouse. One of the two women filming can be heard asking whether the question was in connection with her Star of David pendant.
Sauna Thermas advertises itself as “Gay sauna Barcelona” on its website under the tagline “welcome everybody” and “everyone’s sauna.”
“I am not against the star,” one employee said, and another added: “The question is not Jewish, it’s Zionist.” The visitor added: “They’re kind of the same thing,” and the second staffer replied: “Not really.” Noticing that one of the women was recording, that staffer said it was not allowed, leading to other staffers shoving the visitors out despite their protests. One staffer is heard saying, “We don’t condone genocide,” and “Free Palestine, please leave.”
The women told Israel’s Channel 12 they were an Israeli gay couple.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry reacted to the incident on X, writing: “Another antisemitic attack in Spain. Let’s be clear: targeting Jews because of Jewish symbols—and demanding they distance themselves from Zionism to be accepted—is blatant antisemitism. Jewish identity and Zionism are inseparable. Authorities must act decisively.”
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) also condemned the incident in a statement on Sunday.
“The FCJE demands that the competent authorities, both the Catalan Government and the Barcelona City Council, conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the events. We also urge the firm application of current legislation regarding hate crimes and discrimination. Antisemitism cannot be tolerated or normalized anywhere in our country,” the FJCE said.
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.
