Chief rabbi calls on Spain to apologize for expulsion of Jews
Goldschmidt says step would be preferable to offer of nationality for those with Sephardic roots
The president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, on Sunday suggested that Spain would be better off apologizing to the Jewish people for the expulsion of Jews from the country in 1492, than trying to attract Israelis with an offer of Spanish nationality for those who can prove they have Sephardic roots.
Spain's Embassy in Tel Aviv was inundated with inquiries from Israeli citizens interested in obtaining Spanish nationality after it was announced that a proposal opening the citizenship doors to descendants of Sephardic Jews had been filed in Congress.
"I believe that the Jewish people deserve an apology," Goldschmidt said. "The Spanish government has not said sorry to the Jewish people up until now, with King Juan Carlos missing a great opportunity to do so during his visit to a synagogue in 1992."
