Spanish actor Javier Bardem has drawn sharp criticism after resharing social media posts that suggested the late-July 2026 migrant surge into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta was linked to Israel and served the interests of Israel and the Western far right.
In late July 2026, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people—predominantly young Moroccan men—crossed into Ceuta by land and sea from neighboring Morocco. The sudden influx overwhelmed local facilities, prompted Spain to deploy troops, and resulted in dozens of drownings (reports cited between 43 and 67 deaths). Spanish authorities said the vast majority later returned voluntarily to Morocco. Officials focused on managing the humanitarian and security crisis, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticizing the European response and pointing to trafficking networks and other factors; no official Spanish statements addressed conspiracy claims involving Israel.
Bardem, a longtime and vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause who has previously accused Israel of “genocide” and called for sanctions, reshared posts on Instagram and other platforms.
One widely noted post described Spain as “Europe’s loudest voice against Israeli and US war crimes in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran” and stated: “We don’t know who engineered this crisis, but we know who benefits from a weakened, destabilised Spain: Israel, and the Western far right eager to turn migration into a weapon against Muslims.” Other shared content framed the events as geopolitical pressure tied to Spain’s foreign policy stance.
