Why were Jews hated in Spain?

Answer 1

There were numerous points in history when Jews were not hated in Spain (such as during the Reconquista Period). As for when Jews were hated, the hatred often stemmed from religious beliefs that accused the Jews of being treacherous, disloyal, and conniving. More often than not, these assertions came from Christian leaders than Muslim leaders, but there were certainly instances of Muslim persecution of Spanish Jewry.

As to the Spanish Inquisition's targeting of Jews and Muslims from 1492 onwards, there were several reasons.

1) Insurrection Prevention: The Muslims and the Jews of Southern Spain were quite a large population. Given the fact that they had previously had their own countries, which in the past were conquered and bolstered by Moroccan Berber Muslim Kingdoms, it was not impossible to imagine that Muslims and Jews might rise up together to rebel against the power of Castille and try to secure a new Muslim country. Not wanting this is in the slightest, Queen Isabella of Castille wanted to evict most of the Muslim and Jewish population. Therefore there would be less incentive for the remaining Muslims and Jews to rebel and for Morocco to intervene. (By the mid 1500s, Morocco was no longer an issue for Spain, but in 1492, it was.)

2) Union: Queen Isabella was joining her confederation of Kingdoms (Castille, Leon, Basque Country, Asturias, and others) with those of King Ferdinand (Aragon, Catalunya, Valencia, the Balaeric Islands, and others). Because of Spain's confederal style, there was no union from overarching laws. (Barcelona and Madrid did not have the same legal system until the 1830s.) There was no unity in ethnicity as Basques, Asturians, Leonians, Castillians, Aragonese, Catalans, Valencians, Mozarabes (Arab Christians in Southern Spain), and Galicians all saw themselves as distinct peoples with different languages and histories. They united politically because it was advantageous and could disunite just as easily for political reasons. (Portugal actually did this, seceding from Leon before Leon and Castille merged.) As a result, the only thing that held the Spanish Confederacy together would be a similar religious character (which was by far the most populous commonality between people of Spain). Therefore, Queen Isabella made the decision to remove Muslims and Jews.

3) Values of the Reconquest: The Reconquest was popularized across Christian Spain as a Holy War to drive out the infidels from lower Spain. As the culmination in this struggle, it was only necessary to remove the vanquished.

4) Anti-Semitism and Anti-Mohammedanism: It goes without saying that Christians of the Era (including their leadership) condemned tolerance of other religions, notably Judaism and Islam which they saw as violent and dangerous heresies. As a result, an act to attain religious purity was desirable.

*Forgive the use of the term Anti-Mohammedanism, but there is no politically correct term for hatred of Muslims. Islamophobia is too weak and Anti-Islamism is actually a modern Arab political sentiment supporting separation of mosque and state.

Answer 2

Because they weren't catholic like the majority of the country.

Answer 3

1. Catholic fervour and fanaticism.

2. In an attempt to impose religious uniformity on Spain.

Answer 4

Yes! they were persecuted during the time when Spain control all parts of their country.There is also a persecution during the Spanish inquisition.

Answer 5

When Babylon sacked Jerusalem in 2500 years ago, Jews were dispersed. Yes, many went or were taken east to Babylon, but many went south, north or west. The New Testament records the fact that, by that time, there were Jewish communities spread around the eastern end of the Mediterranean all the way through Turkey and Greece to Rome. We also know that there were Jewish communities in Egypt and Persian Babylon. When Rome sacked Jerusalem in the year 70 and again in 135, the survivors dispersed across the Roman Empire as well as into the Persian empire. Jewish settlement in Spain seems to date to this era. Babylon was the major center of Jewish learning, but the intellectual center shifted to Spain by the end of the first Millenium, with a second growing center in the Rhineland.