The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain has condemned conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for the fatal railway collision in Urda, Toledo, on October 28. At least 69 people died and more than 100 were injured when two high-speed trains collided because of a signaling failure. False allegations and manipulated videos spread online after the disaster.
One post, which attracted more than 100,000 views, sought to connect Israel to the crash through Thales Group, the French defense and technology company responsible for railway signaling and safety systems in Spain. It alleged links between the company and Israeli intelligence, including former Unit 8200 members, and cited alleged technology supplies to Israeli military and security forces. It then suggested that the failure of sophisticated signaling software could indicate deliberate Israeli interference.
A separate AI-generated video falsely portrayed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening Spain with supply disruptions and railway accidents, with an image of him writing Spain on a whiteboard in the background. The fabricated footage spread rapidly in more than six languages. Another account, Irlandarra, which frequently publishes antisemitic material, used authentic footage alongside a fabricated claim that Netanyahu had threatened power outages or train crashes.
That authentic video was recorded on April 10, 2026, during Netanyahu’s response to Spanish criticism of Israel over the Gaza war. He announced that Spanish representatives would be removed from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat and warned of an immediate price for countries conducting a diplomatic campaign against Israel. Irlandarra presented the footage as connected to the railway disaster, placing the word accident in quotation marks. Its post received 148,800 views.
The federation had expressed solidarity with those affected on the day of the collision, offering prayers for the dead, their loved ones and the injured. It also recognized the courage of survivors and the rescue work of security services, while calling for a transparent government investigation and assurances of railway safety.
In a subsequent statement, the federation warned that the conspiracy claims harmed Spain’s Jewish community. It said the allegations came from both political extremes and urged people to reject them in favor of official information and investigative findings. The federation invoked the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and compared the accusations with historical falsehoods that blamed Jews for disease, drought and economic crises.
The federation also pointed to similar claims following the July 30 arrival of between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants in Ceuta, which prompted Spain to declare a state of emergency. Despite documented factors including a Spanish legal ruling, relations between Spain and Morocco, and longstanding pressure on Europe’s asylum system, online narratives blamed Israel and Jews for the border emergency.
An analysis by CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center identified 173 posts from 119 influencer accounts on X promoting that narrative, with an estimated reach of 103.1 million people over 72 hours. The federation said its immediate concern remained the victims of Urda and their families, reaffirming that Spanish Jews shared the country’s grief and offered their support.
