CITIZENSHIP
Sephardic ancestry bill causes embassy stir in Israel
Rajoy proposes granting citizenship to those who trace their Spanish Jewish ancestors
Spain’s embassy in Tel Aviv has been 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 was filed in Congress.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government has submitted the citizenship bill to lawmakers. If passed, it is estimated that around 3.5 million people who can prove their ancestry to the Jewish community that was expelled in 1492 could benefit.
On Monday, the daily Haaretz published an editorial cartoon showing 17 people wearing Barça shirts and holding placards forming a line outside the Spanish Embassy.
