Over 20 Jewish graves desecrated in Barcelona cemetery
Community spokesperson links attack to map published by anti-Israel activists marking Jewish, Israeli sites; denounces ‘despicable antisemitic act’
Vandals desecrated a number of Jewish graves in a Barcelona cemetery this weekend, Spanish police said Sunday, provoking outrage from Jewish groups and politicians.
Spain’s Jewish community reported Saturday’s incident in the Jewish section of Les Corts graveyard in Barcelona.
“We are aware of the incident and have opened an investigation,” a Catalan police spokesperson told AFP, without specifying how many graves had been defaced.
A spokesperson for Spain’s Federation of Jewish Communities (FCJE) told AFP that more than 20 graves had been desecrated.
In a statement, the FCJE condemned the “despicable antisemitic act,” calling on the authorities to “show the utmost resolve in confronting antisemitism.”
It linked the incident to a map — created by pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists and since removed from the internet — that marks Jewish- or Israeli-linked places and businesses in Barcelona.
???? Barcelone ????????
Le cimetière juif des Corts vandalisé.
Tombes brisées. Pierres arrachées.
Encore un acte antisémite.Sous couvert de « Gaza »,
on profane des morts juifs en Europe.#Antisémitisme #Espagne #Juifs #LaChuteDelOccident pic.twitter.com/qWwwpZLIgr— Raph Israël (@raphlesioniste2) January 25, 2026
“With these events, the level of antisemitism takes an alarming leap, moving from words to actions, from incitement to direct attack,” said the FCJE.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni denounced the incident in a statement on social media, saying that the authorities were “working to identify those responsible.”
“Hate has no place in a pluralistic and respectful Barcelona,” he added.
The Gaza war prompted a strong anti-Israel backlash in Spain, which even before the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion was strongly pro-Palestinian.
That backlash included regular demonstrations and boycotts against Israel, including by the Vuelta a España bicycle race over the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team last September.
Madrid has also moved to divest from the Israeli defense industry.
According to the FCJE, Spain’s Jewish community comprises some 70,000 people.
The Times of Israel Community.