The Spanish Sephardic Nationality Fantasy

A bizarre week of disinformation. Spain (again) says they will give citizenship to Sephardim. According to one Spanish source, we are yearning to be reunited with them. News to me.

A Spanish newspaper's unsourced claim that Sephardim were besieging Spanish diplomatic posts has been uncritically repeated by sources as august as El Pais and the FT. Various Ashkenazim and Mizrahim have been excitedly pontificating on the subject. Happily, this nonsense hasn't caused a ripple in Sephardic social media.

According to Spanish sources there are 3.5 million of us, which is three million more than I would have guessed (adding both Western and Eastern Sephardim - meaning Jews of Iberian origin). The Spanish figure excludes the estimated 17 million Brazilian non-Jews of Sephardic origin. Given than Portugal only has a population of 10 million, we might expect an interesting dialogue between the Iberian neighbours.

I suppose some Israeli and Turkish Sephardim might avail themselves of the opportunity of getting an EU passport, so they can settle in Britain or Germany. Why anyone would want to settle in a country as anti-Semitic as Spain escapes me, not to mention a Spanish GDP now lower than Israel's and horrendous levels of unemployment.

Several Muslims on Twitter have reasonably suggested that they too should be included in this Spanish fantasy. Some not very bright Spanish Tweeters see an evil Israeli conspiracy, but haven't explained why Israel would want their citizens to emigrate.

What most shocks is the Spanish Government's ignorance of their country's history. I think they should also explain WHY they believe they need to make restitution to people they have never harmed. And why are they involving us in their fantasy life?

Sephardim invited back to Spain

Several friends have sent me the BBC report on Sephardim being invited back to Spain. The official regulation was published by Spain's Los Angeles consulate in December.

The BBC article gets our history wrong, but that's forgiveable. It hugely complex and subtle. It gives a couple of plugs for Doreen Carvajal's new book. All fine.

What irritates me is that the article alleges that we are some sort of historic remnant yearning for Spain. Er, no. This is as silly as suggesting that ethnic English people are pining for the German forests. Spain is part of the European Union. So too Britain, Holland, Greece, France and Italy which all have Sephardic populations. Has there been a stampede? Has ANYONE "returned" to Spain out of historic nostalgia? Not that I know of. 

The journalist found someone in Turkey (outside the EU) who has got a Spanish passport. An anonymous British Sephardic Jew is reported as saying: "I'm still Spanish in my soul and in my heart", which is surprising as (if he exists) his family probably came from Portugal via Amsterdam or Brazil via Barbados.

I think it is kind of sweet - in a ridiculous way - that some people in Spain want to apologise to us for what one group of people did to another several hundred years ago. As a once Visigoth state, no doubt they will also apologise for the destruction of the Western Roman Empire.

I suppose the Spanish government feel it is a nice gesture - which it is. I wonder if they realise that up to 17 million Brazilians have been estimated to be of Sephardic origin, and I would guess millions more in Mexico and Spanish America.