Migrants rest outside the Temporary Center for Immigrants (CETI) after crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. CETI is the Spanish acronym for the migrant reception center. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)
A migrant runs from Spanish police officers as they cordon off access to the beach for people crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)
One of the states belonging to the Abraham Accords is in trouble; Morocco. Suddenly, some 50,000 left Morocco for Spain saying the reason was to find work as they had no jobs in Morocco. "“There’s nothing at home. I’d have to work 12-hour shifts for a meager wage. That’s why I came here,” said 21-year-old Abdulah Buji, who hails from the city of Tetouan. “But I haven’t found any opportunities here either, so I have to go back.”
The population of Morocco is approximately 38.8 million people, ranking 41st in the world. Data sources like Worldometer place the exact figure at 38,802,929 as of July 2026,
The impetus for so many leaving at once and in dangerous ways was that Spain had a new message of allowing people into the country on a condition: Authorities in Ceuta and Madrid have linked the border surge to a recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence. Sánchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling. The interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling “spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organizations,” triggering the surge, Sánchez said.
Morocco's major industries include automotive manufacturing, aerospace production, and phosphate mining. They make complete passenger cars, wiring harnesses and vehicle components, aircraft structural parts, chemical fertilizers, processed foods, and textiles. Have they kept up with competition? Have they been innovative? It's a dog eat dog world nowdays.
Arab-Berber (Amazigh): Makes up roughly 99% of the country. Millions of people identify specifically with Amazigh (Berber) language and heritage, living alongside the Arabic-speaking majority. What is a Berber?
1820 (n.);1832 (adj;) from the Arabic name for the peoples living in the mountains and desert of the north Africa west of Egypt; Perhaps ultimately from Greek berbaros "barbarians" (see Barbary). By 1854 as the name of their Hamatic Language.
Black Moroccans: Includes historic communities and groups like the Gnawa, estimated at around 5% to 10% of the population.
Sahrawis: An ethnic group living in the southern desert provinces, numbering around 90,000. Origin: They are an ethnic group of mixed Arab, Berber, and West African descent who traditionally spoke the Hassaniya dialect of Arabic.
Foreign Residents: A small expatriate and migrant community of about 100,000 people, mostly coming from France, Spain, Algeria, and Sub-Saharan African countries.
Jewish Community: A historic minority of roughly 2,500 to 4,000 people remaining in the country.
Trade routes: The Iberian Peninsula was a key destination on Phoenician trade routes, and there's a belief that Judeans, particularly under the reign of King Solomon (961-920 BCE) , were involved in some capacity with Iberian trade, potentially through Phoenician connections.
The Roman Republic began its conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, later known as Hispania, in 218 BCE during the Second Punic War against Carthage.While the Romans had some prior knowledge of the peninsula, their formal involvement and territorial expansion began with the landing of Roman troops in Emporion (modern Empúries). A few Israelites (Judeans) may have been included with the soldiers.
The earliest documented presence of Jewish communities in Iberia (Spain and Portugal) dates back to the Roman period, starting in the first centuries CE, possibly including some who came after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Josephus goes on to report that after the Romans killed the armed and elderly Jewish people of Jerusalem, 97,000 were enslaved.
The dispersal of Jews to Spain after 70 CE wasn't a single deciding factor or organized migration but rather a combination of circumstances, including: Enslavement and deportation:Roman forces, under Vespasian (69-79 CE) and is son, Titus (79-81 CE), after the defeat of Judea, enslaved thousands of Jews and transported them to various parts of the Roman Empire, with some ending up in Hispania.Spain, as a part of the Roman Empire, offered a potential destination for resettlement.Existing Jewish Communities:There is evidence of a Jewish presence in the Iberian Peninsula even before 70 CE, likely due to trade and earlier migrations. These existing communities could have provided support and a destination for those displaced after the destruction of Jerusalem.Therefore, the movement of Jews from Jerusalem to Spain after 70 CE was a result of the traumatic events of the Jewish-Roman wars, including forced displacement and voluntary migration, and the existence of established Jewish communities in the Iberian Peninsula that offered a potential haven for those seeking a new home in the diaspora.
But the Jews aren’t done. The Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) had enough of the Jews’ stubborn refusal to maintain a distinct identity. So he turned the screws, passing laws suppressing various religious expressions. (There are Christian martyrs who were killed in this period as the law considered Christianity a sect of Judaism.) Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as the colony Aelia Capitolina, and banned Jews from entering. (This ban is continued through the Byzantine period.)
The year 711 was most important. (Is that why gamblers call for come on-7/11?)In 711 CE, the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula marked a significant turning point for the Jewish population of the region. Far from causing problems, this event brought about a period of relative relief and opportunity for Jews living under the harsh rule of the Visigoths.
Before the Muslim conquest, Jews in the Iberian Peninsula faced increasing persecution under the Visigothic kings who had converted to Catholicism. This persecution included:Forced conversions and expulsions:Jews were mandated to either accept baptism or be expelled from the kingdom, with many choosing to leave for North Africa or Gaul. Restrictions and discriminatory laws:The Visigothic code placed limitations on Jewish life, including prohibitions on intermarriage, owning Christian slaves, and holding public office.Confiscation of property and enslavement: At one point, all Jews were condemned to slavery, their possessions confiscated, and their children were taken from them to be raised as Christians.
The arrival of the Muslims was seen by many Jews as a liberation from this oppressive environment. They actively supported the Muslim invaders, providing assistance in administering conquered territories and even garrisoning captured cities. Under Muslim rule, which became known as al-Andalus, Jews were granted the status of "dhimmis," or protected people. While this status meant they were still considered secondary to Muslims, it guaranteed them the freedom to practice their religion, manage their own affairs, and participate in various occupations, including trade, finance, and scholarship.
This period is often referred to as a "Golden Age" for Jews in Spain, characterized by a flourishing of Jewish culture, intellectual life, and economic prosperity.Why Islam notesnotes that this period brought Jews "nearly instant relief from the persecutions, harassment, and humiliation that they endured under hostile Christian rule". Many Jews from other parts of Europe and the Middle East migrated to al-Andalus, contributing to a vibrant and diverse Jewish community.
Therefore, the year 711 and the subsequent Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula did not cause problems for Jews in living in Iberia; rather, it ushered in a period of relative tolerance and opportunity, especially compared to the preceding Visigothic rule.
Rambam is the acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides.He was a prominent 12th-century Jewish philosopher, legal scholar, and physician. He lived from 1138 to 1204 and is considered one of the most influential figures in Jewish history.
He left Cordova where he was born at age 13 (1151) to escape the Almohade Persecutions and went to North Africa where he wandered and reached Palestine in1165, all the time writing, such as technical terms of logic as well as establishing thelist of 613 Precepts or Laws, as I call it. He found Palestine in a mess, still recoveringfrom the Crusades, so his family went to Egypt. At first he lived by trading in jewels together with his brother, David, but after David died in1170, he became the physicianto the viceroy of Egypt. Moses Maimon died at 70 and was buried in Tiberias.
After 1492's Spanish ban on Jews, they moved to Portugal and were allowed there for a few more year before they were banned by the Pope.
Archaeological finds like a 1st-century amphora in Ibiza with Hebrew characters indicate potential trade between Judea and the Balearic Islands. Ibiza is a Spanish island located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is part of the Balearic Islands archipelago, and is situated to the west of the other main Balearic islands, Mallorca and Menorca, according to Tickets Ibiza. Specifically, Ibiza lies approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) off the coast of Valencia, Spain.
Literary sources, such as Paul the Apostle's stated intention to travel to Spain, hint at the possibility of existing Jewish communities in the region during the mid-1st century CE.
Sephardi Jew in Israel of Today
Sephardic Jews:The Jewish communities in Spain, known as Sephardic Jews, later flourished, particularly during the period of Al-Andalus (Muslim-ruled Iberia).The era of Al-Andalus, especially the period under the Umayyad caliphate of Cordoba, is considered the Golden Age of Judaism in Spain. (During 10th Century it was the capital of the Western Caliphate and was the center of activity of Hasdai Ibn Shaprut. Hasdai ibn Shaprut, also known as Abu Yusuf ben Yitzhak ben Ezra, was a Jewish scholar, physician, diplomat, and patron of science in medieval al-Andalus. He served as a minister at the court of Caliph Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba, where he was responsible for foreign affairs and diplomacy. Moses ben Enoch established there the 1st talmudic college in Spain in 972 CE.
Jews leaving Spain in 1492
During this time, Jewish communities in Spain achieved significant social, economic, and cultural prominence, producing notable scholars, poets, and thinkers.Despite their contributions, Spanish Jews faced expulsion due to the Pope in 1492, marking a tragic end to their flourishing in Spain.
Al-Andalus refers to the historical period and territory of Muslim-ruled Iberia, spanning from 711 to 1492. It was a significant cultural and intellectual center during the Middle Ages, known for its unique blend of Islamic and Iberian cultures. Middle aged Jews found it hard to leave their homes, businesses, and some Jews became Marranos, or hidden Jews. Today we call them Anusim, as theother word means "pig". Many have returned to Judaism.
Sephardic Jews in 1875
Spain has indeed taken steps to acknowledge and address the expulsion of Jews from its territory in 1492. In 2015, the Spanish Parliament passed a law offering a pathway to Spanish citizenship for descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled during the Spanish Inquisition. This law was enacted to compensate for the historical injustices faced by this community. However, the application period for this specific law ended on October 1, 2019.
Requirements and Process for Spanish citizenship (under the expired law)Applicants under the original law were required to meet certain criteria, including:
Demonstrating their Sephardic status through various means, such as certificates from recognized Jewish communities or rabbinical authorities, proof of using Ladino or Haketia (Judeo-Spanish languages), and evidence linking their surnames to Sephardic lineage.
Showing a special connection to Spain, which could include certificates of Spanish history and culture studies, knowledge of Ladino or Haketia, inclusion in lists of Sephardic families historically protected by Spain, or engaging in activities benefiting Spanish persons or institutions.
Passing tests on basic Spanish language (DELE A2 or higher) and knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and social and cultural reality (CCSE). There were exceptions for those from Spanish-speaking countries, minors, and those with modified legal capacity.
Presenting a birth certificate and a criminal record check.
Paying an application fee, initially 100 Euros.
The application process involved online registration, document submission, a notary act, and a final resolution by the General Directorate of Registries and Notary Services.
Challenges and criticisms
While the law aimed to rectify historical injustices, it faced some criticism:
The requirement for applicants to demonstrate a special connection to Spain was sometimes seen as difficult for those who had been disconnected from their heritage for centuries.
The comparison between the expulsion of Jews and Muslims during the Inquisition was also a point of debate, with some historians noting key differences.
Fraudulent applications have also emerged as an issue, leading to investigations and rejection of suspicious cases.
CaliphAl-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ("the Mad") issues severe restrictions against Jews in the Fatimid Empire. All Jews are forced to wear a heavy wooden "golden calf"around their necks. Christians had to wear a large wooden cross and members of both groups had to wear black hats.The Fatimids, claiming descent from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, established their capital in Cairo, Egypt which became a major cultural and trade center. A Shia dynasty that ruled a vast area in North Africa and the Middle East from 909 to 1171 CE.
1009
Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, of Cairo, orders the destruction of synagogues, Torah scrolls and Jewish artifacts among other non-Muslim buildings.
1010
The Jews of Limoges, France, are given the choice of baptism or exile. Limoges, born in 10 BC,
1011
The Abbasid Caliph Al-Qadir born in 947 CE, Baghdad, Iraq, publishes the Baghdad Manifesto, which accuses the Fatimids of being descended from Jews, instead of being "family of the prophet Mohammad."
1011
A Muslim mob attacks a Jewish funeral procession, resulting in the arrest of 23 Jews, who were the victims.
One of the first known persecutions of Jews in Germany: Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, expels Jews from Mainz, German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 35th-largest city.
1013
During the fall of the city, Sulayman's troops looted Córdoba and massacred citizens of the city, including many Jews. Prominent Jews in Córdoba, such as Samuel ibn Naghrela were forced to flee to the city in 1013.
1016
The Jewish community of Kairouan, Tunisia is forced to choose between conversion and expulsion.[65]
1021
A violent earthquake occurs, which some Greeks maintain is caused by a desecration of Jesus by the Jews. For this a number of Roman Jews are burnt at the stake.[66]
1026
Probable date of the chronicle of Raoul Glaber. The French chronicler blamed the Jews for the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was destroyed in 1009 by Islamic Caliph Al-Hakim. As a result, Jews were expelled from Limoges and other French towns.[citation needed]
Sixty Jews are put to death in Castrojeriz during a revolt, because the Jews were considered "property" of the kingdom by the locals.[67][68]
1039
A Muslim mob raids the palace of the Jewish vizier and kills him after the ruler al-Mondhir is assassinated.
1040
ExilarchHezekiah Gaon is imprisoned and tortured to death by the Buyyids. The death of Hezekiah ended the line of the Geonim, which had begun four centuries earlier.
The Synod of Szabolcs prohibits Jews from working on Sunday [22] or marrying Christians.
1096
The First Crusade. Three hosts of crusaders pass through several Central European cities. The third, unofficial host, led by Count Emicho, decides to attack the Jewish communities, most notably in the Rhineland, under the slogan: "Why fight Christ's enemies abroad when they are living among us?" Eimicho's host attacks the synagogue at Speyer and kills all the defenders. 800 are killed in Worms. Another 1,200 Jews commit suicide in Mainz to escape his attempt to forcibly convert them (see German Crusade, 1096), and 600 are massacred in Mainz on 27 May.[70] Attempts by the local bishops remained fruitless. All in all, 5,000 Jews were murdered.[71]
1099
Jews fight side by side with Muslim soldiers to defend Jerusalem against the Crusaders and face massacres when it falls.[72] According to the Muslim chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi, "The Jews assembled in their synagogue, and the Franks burned it over their heads."[73] However, a contemporary Jewish communication does not corroborate the report that Jews were actually inside of the Synagogue when it was set on fire.[74] This letter was discovered among the Cairo Geniza collection in 1975 by historian Shelomo Dov Goitein.[75] Historians believe that it was written just two weeks after the siege, making it "the earliest account on the conquest in any language."[75] However, all sources agree that a synagogue was indeed burned during the siege.
Twelfth century
1108
Many Jews are massacred and their houses and synagogues are burned following a Muslim victory at the Battle of Uclés (1108) in Spain. Of those murdered is Solomon ibn Farissol, the leader of the Castile community. This incident greatly impacted the Hebrew poet Judah HaLevi, and completely shifted the focus of his poetry.
A Muslim mob in Córdoba, Spain storms into Jewish homes, takes their possessions and kills a number of them.
1141
During The Anarchy, the fight for succession between Matilde and Stephen, the Jews of Oxford are forced to pay ransom to both sides of the conflict or their houses are to be burned. Stephen burns the house of Aaron son of Isaac and threatens the rest of the community if they do not pay him.
The case of William of Norwich, a contrived accusation of murder by Jews in Norwich, England.
1145
Abd al-Mu'min gives the Jewish population of Sijilmasa the choice of converting to Islam or death. At least 150 Jews who refuse to convert are massacred.
Jews are expelled from al-Andalus (Muslim-ruled Iberia-Spain).
1148
The mostly-Jewish town Lucena, Córdoba-Spain is captured by the Almohad Caliphate and local Jews are given the choice of Islam or death. This was the end of the Jewish community of Lucena.
Appalled by the annual practice of beating Jews during Palm Sunday, Bishop William issues an order which would excommunicate any priest who continues the practice.[82]
1165
Forced mass conversions of Jews to Islam in Yemen.[83]
1165
New Almohad ruler decrees that all Jews in Fez must convert to Islam or face death. Judah ha-Kohen ibn Shushan is burnt alive for refusing and Maimonides was displaced and permanently leaves for Egypt.[84]
1168
Harold of Gloucester is found floating in a river. The local Benedictine monks use the discovery to claim that "the child had been spirited away by the Jews on the 21st February for them to torture him to death on the night of 16th March". It established that the mythology created around William of Norwich's death could be used as a template for explaining later deaths.
Jews of Bologna are expelled for no known reason.[85]
1173
Following multiple church-inspired riots, Mieszko III of Poland forbids all kinds of violence against the Jews of Poland.
1177
Alfonso II of Aragon creates a charter which defines the status of Jews in Teruel. Jews are defined as "slaves of the king, belonging entirely to the royal treasury." The fee for killing a Jew is half of what the fee is for killing a Christian and is to be paid directly to the king (since Jews are considered property of the crown).
1179
The Third Council of the Lateran, Canon 26, forbids Jews to be plaintiffs or witnesses against Christians in the courts or withhold inheritance from descendants who had accepted Christianity.
1179
The body of a Christian girl is found near the shore. The Jews of Boppard are blamed for her death, resulting in 13 Jews being murdered.
1180
Philip II of France, after four months in power, imprisons all the Jews in his lands and demands a ransom for their release.
1181
Philip Augustus II annuls all loans made by Jews to Christians and takes a percentage for himself. A year later, he confiscates all Jewish property and expels the Jews from Paris.
1181
The Assize of Arms of 1181 orders that all weapons held by Jews must be confiscated, claiming they have no use for them. This led to the Jewish community of England being a lot more vulnerable during anti-Jewish riots.
A Jewish deputation attending coronation of Richard the Lionheart was attacked by the crowd. Pogroms in London followed and spread around England.
1190
All the Jews of Norwich, England found in their houses were slaughtered, except a few who found refuge in the castle.
1190
57 Jews in St. Edmunds are killed in a massacre on Palm Sunday.[88]
1190
500 Jews of York were massacred after a six-day siege by departing members of the Third Crusade, backed by several people indebted to Jewish money-lenders.[89]
More than 80 Jews in Bray-sur-Seine are burned at the stake after trying to execute a murderer who had killed an Israelite.[90]
1195
After falsely being accused of ritual murder with no evidence, the daughter of Rabbi Isaac bar Asher ha-Levi is murdered, dismembered and her body parts are hung around the market place for days.Ha-Levi was killed the following day along with 8 other Jews after trying to recover what was left of his daughter's body from the mob. (Like present day horrors of October 7th
1197
In an attempt to isolate the Jewish population economically, Christians were barred from buying food from Jews or having conversations with them under the threat of excommunication.
1198
Philip Augustus readmits Jews to Paris, only after another ransom was paid and a taxation scheme was set up to procure funds for himself. August: Saladin's nephew al-Malik, caliph of Yemen, summons all the Jews and forcibly converts them.
Judensau at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Regensburg
13th century
Germany. Appearance of Judensau: obscene and dehumanizing imagery of Jews, ranging from etchings to Cathedral ceilings. Its popularity lasted for over 600 years.
In 1204 the papacyrequired Jews to segregate themselves from Christians and to wear distinctive clothing.
1205
Jews are expelled from villages and towns all around Spain by Muslims.
1206
Jewish homes are burned, looted, Israelites are killed and the remaining Jewish population of Halle is expelled.
1209
Béziers is stormed and its inhabitants are massacred. Among those were 200 Jews. All Jewish children who survived, and did not flee, were forcibly baptized.
1209
Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, humiliated and forced to swear that he would implement social restrictions against Jews.
1210
King John of Englandimprisoned much of the Jewish population until they paid up 66,000 marks.
1212
Forced conversions and mass murder of the Jewish community of Toledo.
1215
The Fourth Lateran Council headed by Pope Innocent III declares: "Jews and Saracens of both sexes in every Christian province and at all times shall be marked off in the eyes of the public from other peoples through the character of their dress." (Canon 68). See Judenhut. The Fourth Lateran Council also noted that the Jews' own law required the wearing of identifying symbols.
Pope Innocent III also reiterated papal injunctions against forcible conversions, and added: "No Christian shall do the Jews any personal injury...or deprive them of their possessions...or disturb them during the celebration of their festivals...or extort money from them by threatening to exhume their dead."
1217
French noblewoman Alix de Montmorencyimprisons the Jewish population of Toulouse for refusing to convert. She eventually released them all except for children under six, who were taken and adopted by Christians.
1221
An anti-Jewish riot erupts in Erfurt, where the Jewish quarter is destroyed along with two synagogues. Around 26 Jews are killed, and others throw themselves into fire rather than be forcibly converted.Samuel of Speyer was among those martyred.
Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, heir of Raymond VI, also forced to swear that he would implement social restrictions against Jews.
1229
Treaty of Jaffa is signed between Frederick II and the Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt. Jews are once again banned from residing in Jerusalem.
1230
Theodore Komnenos Doukas is defeated. Since Theodore decreed many anti-Jewish laws and seized Jewish property, he was handed over to two Jews by John Asen II to personally kill him. After having pity on him and refusing to kill Theodore, the Czar had the Jews thrown off a cliff.
The Jews of Fulda, Germany were accused of ritual murder. To investigate the blood libel, Emperor Frederick II held a special conference of Jewish converts to Christianity at which the converts were questioned about Jewish ritual practice. Letters inviting prominent individuals to the conference still survive. At the conference, the converts stated unequivocally that Jews do not harm Christian children or require blood for any rituals. In 1236 the Emperor published these findings and in 1247 Pope Innocent IV, the Emperor's enemy, also denounced accusations of the ritual murder of Christian children by Jews. In 1272, the papal repudiation of the blood libel was repeated by Pope Gregory X, who also ruled that thereafter any such testimony of a Christian against a Jew could not be accepted unless it is confirmed by another Jew. Unfortunately, these proclamations from the highest sources were not effective in altering the beliefs of the Christian majority and the libels continued.
1236
Crusaders attack Jewish communities of Anjou and Poitou and attempt to baptize all the Jews. Those who resisted (est. 3,000) were slaughtered.
1236
A Jew and a Christian fisherman get into a heated argument about prices, which turns physical. It ends when the Jew deals a devastating blow to the Gentile's head which leads to his death. This enrages the local Christian population, who attack the Jewish quarter of Narbonne. Don Aymeric, the governor of Narbonne prevents a massacre and restores all stolen Jewish property to their rightful owner.[100][101]
A pogrom against the Jews of Frankfurt takes place after conflicts over Jewish-Christian marriages and the enforced baptism of interfaith couples. 180 Jews are killed as a result and 24 agree to be baptized. This became known as the Judenschlacht (German for Slaughter of the Jews).
1241
In England, first of a series of royal levies against Jewish finances, which forced the Jews to sell their debts to non-Jews at cut prices.[103]
1242
Following a show trial, the Talmud is "convicted" of corrupting the Jews. 24 cart-loads of hand-written Talmudic manuscripts, some 10,000 volumes and comprising most of the extant volumes in France, are burned in the streets of Paris.
1242
James I of Aragon orders Jews to listen to conversion sermons and to attend churches. Friars are given power to enter synagogues uninvited.
1243
The first ever accusation of Host Desecration. The entire Jewish population of Beelitz was burned at the stake after being accused of torturing Jesus and the spot it happened was named "Judenberg."
1243
11 Jews are tortured to death following a blood libel in Kitzingen Germany.[104]
The Hafsid caliph in the Magrheb issues a decree that Jews and Christians must wear a distinguishing badge. The so-called shikla continues to be in use for Tunisian Jews into the nineteenth century.[105]
1251
The Shepherds' Crusade attacks Jewish communities across northern France.
Mongols are defeated and Syria is brought under Mamluk rule. Anti-Jewish laws are once again decreed, and Jewish life becomes a lot more restricted in the Levant.
1260
Jews are banned from ascending above the 7th step on the Cave of the Patriarchs. This ban would last 700 years.
1260
Thomas Aquinas publishes Summa Contra Gentiles, a summary of Christian faith to be presented to those who reject it. The Jews who refuse to convert are regarded as "deliberately defiant" rather than "invincibly ignorant".
In a special session, the Vienna city council forces Jews to wear Pileum cornutum (a cone-shaped headdress, prevalent in many medieval illustrations of Jews). This distinctive dress is an addition to Yellow badge Jews were already forced to wear.
1267
The Synod of Vienna forbids Christians from attending Jewish ceremonies, and Jews from debating with "simple Christian people" about the beliefs of the Catholic religion.
After an accusation from an old woman that the Jews had bought a Christian child from her to kill, the entire Jewish community of Pforzheim face massacres and expulsion. Rabbi Samuel ben Yaḳar ha-Levi, Rabbi Isaac ben Eliezer and Rabbi Abraham ben Gershom commit suicide to escape the cruel torture they feared.
1275
King Edward I of England passes the Statute of the Jewry forcing Jews over the age of seven to wear an identifying yellow badge, and making usury illegal, in order to seize their assets. Scores of English Jews are arrested, 300 hanged and their property goes to the Crown.
1276
Massacre in Fez to kill all Jews stopped by intervention of the Emir[108]
1278
The Edict of Pope Nicholas III requires compulsory attendance of Jews at conversion sermons.
1279
The Synod of Ofen forbids Christians to sell or rent real estate to or from Jews.[98]
John Pectin, Archbishop of Canterbury, orders all London synagogues to close and prohibits Jewish physicians from practicing on Christians.
1283
Philip III of France causes mass migration of Jews by forbidding them to live in the small rural localities.
1283
10 Jews are slain in Mainz after claims of blood libel.[109]
1285
Blood libel in Munich, Germanyresults in the death of 68 Jews.180 more Jews are burned alive at the synagogue.
1287
Edward I of England arrests heads of Jewish families and demands their communities pay ransom of 12,000 pounds.
1287
A 16-year-old boy is found dead in the Rhine. Immediately the Jews of Oberwesel are accused of killing the boy. Over 40 men, women and children were killed by rioters as a response.
1287
Jews are arrested and accused of coin clipping. Even without evidence, the whole community is convicted and expelled.
1288
The Jewish population of Troyes is accused of ritual murder. 13 Jewish martyrs are burned at the stake, sacrificing themselves to spare the rest of the community.[110]
1288
104 Jews in Bonn, Germany are killed during a pogrom.
Edict of Expulsion: Edward I expels all Jews from England, allowing them to take only what they could carry, all the other property became the Crown's. Official reason: continued practice of usury.
1290
A Jewish man named Jonathan and his wife are accused of stabbing the wafer to torture Jesus. They are both burned at the stake, their house is destroyed and replaced with a chapel.[112]
Philip the Fair publishes an ordinance prohibiting the Jews to settle in France.
1291
Jewish physician and grand vizierSa'ad al-Dawla is killed by Muslims who felt it a degradation to have a Jew placed over them. Persian Jews suffer a long-period of violent persecution by the Muslim population.
Accusations of Host desecration against the German Jews. More than 140 Jewish communities face forced conversions.
1298
During the civil war between Adolph of Nassau and Albrecht of Austria, German knight Rintfleisch claims to have received a mission from heaven to exterminate "the accursed race of the Jews". Under his leadership, the mob goes from town to town destroying Jewish communities and massacring about 100,000 Jews, often by mass burning at stake. Among 146 localities in Franconia, Bavaria and Austria are Röttingen (20 April), Würzburg (24 July), Nuremberg (1 August).[113]
Riots break out in Egypt, which are encouraged by the Mamluks. Many Jews are forcibly converted to Islam, including the entire Jewish population of Bilbeis. Many synagogues are appropriated into mosques.[114]
1305
Philip IV of France seizes all Jewish property (except the clothes they wear) and expels them from France (approx. 100,000). His successor Louis X of France allows French Jews to return in 1315.
1306
Jews of Sens, Yonnedepartment of France, are expelled. This was the third and final expulsion (after those in 876 and 1198).[115]
Rhodes falls to the Crusaders, who went on a rampage against the local Jews.[117]
1310
The Synod of Mainz defines the adoption of Judaism by a Christian or the return of a baptized Jew to Judaism as heresy subject to punishment.[98]
1310
Frederick II of Aragon adopts anti-Jewish laws, which require them to mark their clothes and shops with the yellow badge. Jews were also forbidden from having any relationship with Catholics.
Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, a Persian Jewish convert to Islam was executed on fake charges of poisoning Öljeitü and for several days crowds carried his head around his native city of Tabriz, chanting "This is the head of the Jew who abused the name of God; may God's curse be upon him!"
5,000 Jews are massacred and their houses are burned down following anti-Jewish preaching by a Franciscan friar from Estella, near Pamplona. That same years, the Jews of Navarre choose to burn their homes and synagogues and drown their children rather than be forcibly converted.[123]
1328
Jewish martyr Aaron ben Zerah, along with his wife and four of his sons are executed.
Pogroms over host desecration across Bavaria, Austria, and Bohemia. The Jews are accused of stealing the bread of the Eucharist and trying to burn it. In Wolfsberg, Carinthia, over 70 Jews are burned at the stake and the entire Jewish community is destroyed.[129][130]
1344
The citizens of Speyer ask the King's permission to confiscate the houses of the Jews for the cities benefit – he grants their request.[131]
1348
European Jews are blamed for the plague in the Black Death persecutions. Charge laid to the Jews that they poisoned the wells. Massacres spread throughout Spain, France, Germany and Austria. More than 200 Jewish communities destroyed by violence. Many communities have been expelled and settle down in Poland.
1349
Basel: 600 Jews burned at the stake, 140 children forcibly baptized, the remaining city's Jews expelled. The city synagogue is turned into a church and the Jewish cemetery is destroyed.
1349 burning of Jews (from a European chronicle written on the Black Death between 1349 and 1352)
The entire Jewish population of Speyer is destroyed. All Jews are either killed, converted, or fled. All their property and assets was confiscated. Part of the Black Death Jewish persecutions.
The Jewish community of Worms is completely destroyed as a result of the Black Death Jewish persecutions. Hundreds of Jews set fire to their homes to avoid the oncoming torture. Their property was seized by the locals.
Jews of Breslau are expelled as part of the Black Death Jewish persecutions.[119] The city claims all property and synagogues, while the Emperor was given the cemetery and all Jewish debts. 60 Jews are murdered.
1349
The Jewish quarter of Cologne is destroyed by an angry mob, and most of the community is killed. All of their property was split up between the ransackers. It was part of the Black Death Jewish persecutions.[133]
1349
The Strasbourg massacre was a part of the Black Death persecutions, where several hundred Jews were publicly burned to death, and the rest of them were expelled. It was one of the first and worst pogroms in pre-modern history.
6,000 Jews are burned to death in Mainz as a part of the Black Death Jewish persecutions. When the angry mob charged, the Jews initially fought back, killing around 200 of their attackers.[135][136]
Church officials order the expulsion of Jews from Bulgaria for "heretical activity."
1359
Charles V of France allows Jews to return for a period of 20 years in order to pay ransom for his father John II of France, imprisoned in England. The period is later extended beyond the 20 years.
Furious with a pogrom against Castilian Jews in Miranda de Ebro, Peter of Castile publicly boils one of the perpetrators, roasts another, and executes others with an axe.
Jews of Metz are expelled after their presence is cited as the cause of lightning strikes which destroyed twenty-two houses.[138]
1367
Host desecration trials are held against the Jews of Barcelona. They were initiated by the crown prince Don Juan of Aragon.
1367
No fewer than 1600 homes belonging to conversos are destroyed and many conversos are killed in Toledo.
1368
The Synod of Lavour prohibits the sale or transfer of Church property to Jews.[98]
1370
The entire Jewish population of Brussels is massacred over allegations of host desecration. It was an end of the Hebrew community in Brussels. The event was commemorated by local Christians as the Sacrament of Miracle.[139]
1376
Jews are expelled from Hungary. Most of them flee south into Greece and neighboring areas.[140]
1377
Another Host desecration trial is held against Jews in Teruel and Huesca. The person behind it, as with the previous trial, is the crown prince Don Juan of Aragon. Many Jews are tortured and burned alive publicly.[141]
1382
16 Jews are murdered in Paris the Mailotin Riots after the Harelle.
1384
200 Jews are killed in Noerdlingen and the community ceases to exist.[142]
John of Castile reinforces previous anti-Jewish legislation.
1389
18 March, a Jewish boy is accused of plotting against a priest. The mob slaughters approx. 3,000 of Prague's Jews, destroys the city's synagogue and Jewish cemetery. Wenceslaus insists that the responsibility lay with the Jews for going outside during Holy Week.
Led by Ferrand Martinez, countless massacres devastate the Sephardic Jewish community, especially in Castile, Valencia, Catalonia and Aragon. The Jewish quarter in Barcelona is completely destroyed. By the end of the pogroms, at least 10,000 Jews are murdered and thousands more are forcibly converted.
Jews expelled from Bern, Switzerland. Although between 1408 and 1427 Jews were again residing in the city, the only Jews to appear in Bern subsequently were transients, chiefly physicians and cattle dealers
1392
The Jews of Damascus are accused by Muslims of setting fire to the central mosque. Although there was no evidence presented, one Jew was burned alive, the leaders of the community were tortured, and the local synagogue was appropriated into a mosque.[121]
A Christian woman is accused of stealing hosts and giving them to Jews for the purpose of desecration. Thirteen members of the Jewish community of Posen, along with the woman are all tortured and burned alive slowly. This story, however, does not appear until the latter half of the 14th century.[145] The community is then forced to pay a special tax every year until the 18th century.
1399
80 Jews are murdered in Prague after a converted Jew named Peter accuses them of denigrating Christianity. A number of Jews are also jailed, including Yom-Tov Lipmann-Muhlhausen.
Persecutions of Jews in Vienna, known as Wiener Gesera (Vienna Edict), confiscation of their possessions, and forced conversion of Jewish children. 270 Jews burned at stake. and all Viennese Jews are expelled following persecution.
1422
Pope Martin V issues a Bull reminding Christians that Christianity was derived from Judaism and warns the friars not to incite against the Jews. The Bull was withdrawn the following year on allegations that the Jews of Rome attained it by fraud.
Casimir IV renews all the rights of Jews of Poland and makes his charter one of the most liberal in Europe. He revokes it in 1454 at the insistence of Bishop Zbigniew.
Around 40 Jews in Breslau are burned at the stake on charges of host desecration, while the head Rabbi hung himself to avoid the torture. Jewish children under 7 were stolen and forcibly baptized. The few Jews remaining were banished from Breslau.[165]
1456
Pope Caliextus III issues a papal bull which prohibits Jews from testifying against Christians, but permits Christians to testify against a Jew.
1458
The city council of Erfurt, Germany votes to expel the Jews.[166]
On Assumption day 15 August 1474, Christians wreaked brutal havoc on the Jewish dwellers of the Cartellone area of Modica. It was the first and most horrible massacre of Sicilian Jews. During the evening a number of Christians slaughtered about 360 Jews causing a total and fierce devastation in La Giudecca. They ran through the streets chanting: "Hurrah for Mary! Death to the Jews!" (Viva Maria! Morte ai Giudei!).[172]
Simon of Trent blood libel. Illustration in Hartmann Schedel's Weltchronik, 1493
1475
A student of the preacher Giovanni da Capistrano, FranciscanBernardine of Feltre, accuses the Jews in murdering an infant, Simon. The entire community is arrested, 15 leaders are burned at the stake, the rest are expelled. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V confirmed Simon's cultus. Saint Simon was considered a martyr and patron of kidnap and torture victims for almost 500 years. In 1965, Pope Paul VI declared the episode a fraud, and decanonized Simon's sainthood.
The Jewish population of Tuat is massacred in a pogrom inspired by the preacher al-Maghili.[175][176]
1492
Ferdinand II and Isabella issue General Edict on the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain: approx. 200,000. Some return to the Land of Israel. As many localities and entire countries expel their Jewish citizens (after robbing them), and others deny them entrance, the legend of the Wandering Jew, a condemned harbinger of calamity, gains popularity.
1492
Jews of Mecklenburg, Germany are accused of stabbing a consecrated wafer. 27 Jews are burned, including two women. The spot is still called the Judenberg. All the Jews are expelled from the Duchy.[177]
1492
Askia Mohammad I decrees that all Jews must convert to Islam, leave or be killed. Judaism becomes illegal in Mali. This was based on the advice of Muhammad al-Maghili.[178] The region of Timbuktu had previously been tolerant of other religions before Askia got into power.
1493
John II of Portugal deports several hundred Jewish children to the colony of São Tomé, where most of them die.
16 Jews are burned at the stake after a blood libel in Trnava.
1494
After a fire destroys the Jewish quarter of Cracow, the Polish king Jan I Olbracht transfers the Jews to Kazimierz, which would become the first Polish ghetto. Jews were confined to the ghetto until 1868.
1495
Jews in Lithuania are expelled and their property is seized. They were allowed to return 8 years later.[182]
1495
The Jews of Lecce are massacred and the Jewish quarter is burned to the ground.[183]
1495
The Spanish conquer Naples and the Jews are officially expelled, though the order is not carried out.[184]
1496
Jews living in Styria are expelled and all their property is confiscated.[185]
1496
Forced conversion and expulsion of Jews from Portugal. This included many who fled Spain four years earlier.
Manuel I of Portugal decrees that all Jews must convert or leave Portugal without their children.
1498
Prince Alexander of Lithuania forces most of the Jews to forfeit their property or convert. The main motivation is to cancel the debts the nobles owe to the Jews. Within a short time trade grinds to a halt and the Prince invites the Jews back in.
Jews are banished from Verona. The Jews who were money lenders were replaced with Christian usurers who oppressed the poor so bad that the Jews were very shortly called to return.[186]
1499
All New Christians are prohibited from leaving Portugal, even those who were forcibly baptized.[187]
