Spanish Jewish Federation condemns conspiracy theories linking Israel to fatal train crash

NOVEMBER 1, 2026 18:54The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FJCE) has decried circulating conspiracy theories accusing Jews of being responsible for the fatal railway crash in Urda, Toledo, last week.At least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured on October 28 when a high-speed train collided with another high-speed train due to a signaling failure.Following the tragic accident, conspiracy theories and doctored videos started spreading, accusing Israel of orchestrating the collision.For example, one post, viewed over 100,000 times, attempted to demonstrate how Israel may have been involved in the accident. It highlighted Thales Group, a French defense and technology company responsible for railway signaling and safety systems in Spain, and alleged that the company has close ties to Israeli intelligence, including former members of Unit 8200, as well as supplying technology to Israel's military and security forces. It then questioned how Thales's supposedly highly sophisticated railway software could have failed, suggesting the possibility of deliberate tampering by Israel.A video then circulated seemingly depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening Spain with supply cuts and train accidents. In the background, Netanyahu is shown to be writing the word 'Spain' on a whiteboard. However, the entire video is made with AI. Nevertheless, it circulated in over 6 languages at a rapid pace.A worker walks on an empty platform next to trains following the collision of two high-speed trains between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, at Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, October 28, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/SUSANA VERA)Fabricated Netanyahu ‘threat’ The account Irlandarra, which frequently posts antisemitic material, published a post with a different fabricated video apparently showing Netanyahu threatening Spain with power outages or train accidents.The quotation is fabricated. The video is real, but dates from April 10, 2026, when Netanyahu was responding to Spain's criticism of Israel over the Gaza war. In it, he announced the removal of Spanish representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat and said, "I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price."Irlandarra captioned it: "Following Netanyahu’s threats against Spain, yesterday we have a train accident—68 dead."It then used the word "accident" in inverted commas. The post has been viewed 148.8K times.‘Very dark times’ FJCE responded to theories circulating on some social media platforms alleging supposed Israeli interference in the terrible railway accident that took place yesterday in Urda, declaring that these conspiracy theories harm Spain’s Jewish community."These theories originate from both extremes of the political spectrum, and we call on people to reject them and to rely on official information and investigations, which are the only means of establishing what happened," the statement read.FCJE noted that the same conspiracy theories - blaming Israel for domestic issues in Spain - emerged following the entry of immigrants into Ceuta over the summer."Holding an entire country responsible for the world's problems constitutes antisemitism under the IHRA working definition, to which Spain is a signatory," it argued, adding that the conspiracy theories bring back memories of "very dark times," when Jews "were blamed for poisoning wells, bringing the plague, causing droughts or triggering economic crises.""Those falsehoods led to persecution, harassment and the isolation of Jews, and something very similar is what we have been experiencing in Spain over the past three years," FJCE added."Today, however, the thoughts of Spain’s Jewish community are with the victims of Urda and their families. In these moments of grief, Spanish Jews join the mourning of the entire country and offer their solidarity and support."A woman walks past an information screen displaying cancelled train services following the collision of two high-speed trains between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, at the Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, October 28, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/SUSANA VERA)Echoes of CeutaOn July 30, between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, leading Spain to declare a state of emergency.The causes were a matter of public record: a Spanish domestic legal ruling, the state of Spanish-Moroccan relations, and a decade of strain on Europe’s asylum system.However, within hours, the dominant explanation on X named the State of Israel and the Jewish people as the architects of European destabilization.An analysis by CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) found that 173 posts from 119 influencer accounts on X recast a European border emergency as a Jewish plot, reaching an estimated 103.1 million people in 72 hours.Together they generated 57.5 million views, 1.9 million likes, and 368,400 shares in two days. The average post alone reached an audience the size of a national newspaper’s circulation.Follow us on Google