By this logic, we Jews deserve an apology from just about everywhere we've ever lived. They've all thrown us out at some time in history, haven't they? When will we get our revenge?

You are seriously asking the king of Spain to apologize to Jews? For what? For what his predecessors did to them? Come on, now. The best way is to continue the tradition. Oh no! Not by expulsion but this time...but...by... ASSIMILATION!

The notion that any nation anywhere should apologize for actions committed to any other nation 500 years ago is totally ridiculous. Enough of this victimhood already.

That someone who presides over a democracy of today should apologize for the actions of his predecessors from 17 generations ago who were absolute monarchs. Perhaps the Spaniards should apologize to the remnants of the Aztec and Inca nations and Italy should apologize to all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for the iniquities of Rome. Actually I have a good idea, lets all stand up in the UN and look each other in the face and apologize to each other and turn over a new leaf in the dismal history of Mankind. Dreams never hurt.

Moreover,you can not forgive without an apology lest you be ridiculous.

to make sure they aren't repeated. Two years ago, Germany finished paying for her WW1 debts. That's true form of an apology, money. Personally, any Jew returning to Spain is an idiot. BUILD ALL OF ISRAEL FOR ALL JEWS!!

Rabbi, Sir, With the exception of Her Majesty the Queen of England; who apologized to the Maori of New Zealand for her ancestor's, Queen Victoria's actions against the Maori; reigning monarchs do NOT apologize. Reigning monarchs reconcile. His Royal Majesty the Very Catholic King of Spain Don Juan Carlos de Bourbon y Bourbon did exactly that on 31 March 1992 - 500 years to the day after the expulsion edict issued by Ferdinand and Isabella. On that day, 31 March 1992, the 500th anniversary of the expulsion order, His Royal Majesty the Very Catholic King of Spain Don Juan Carlos de Bourbon y Bourbon undertook two actions of reconciliation: 1. He signed the Royal Degree cancelling the Expulsion Order AND 2. His Majesty, wearing a kippa (yarmulke) together with then Israeli President Mr. Chaim Herzog entered Madrid's Beth Yaakov Synagogue and PRAYED TOGETHER! (So that you will clearly understand the second point it would be as if you and the descendants of the Romanov's went to the Moscow Shul together with you.) I find your op-ed piece filled with misinformation and truly, I am embarrassed on your behalf. If I, an ordinary Israeli of Sephardi ancestry know that the King of Spain entered the Madrid Synagogue together with the Israeli President and prayed there how is it that you do NOT have this information? With all due respect might it be because you are dealing in matters that you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about? About your comment "if the offer would have come in 1938..."well Sir, here again you do not know what you speak of and are 100% wrong. The Fascist Dictator Francisco Franco issued "salva conducto" ("safe conduct" or right of passage through Spain and all of her territories) to Jews all throughout World War II. In fact the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee OPENLY operated in Barcelona throughout World War 2. The fascist dictator Franco saved between 25,000 and 35,000 Jews and sent ZERO Jews to the Nazi Camps. In other words, I can understand and even justify Yad VaShem NOT recognizing the Fascist Dictator Franco as a "Righteous Amongst the Nations" but I canNOT understand you lack of historical knowledge! Further in 1948 (with the establishment of the State of Israel) and again in 1967 the Dictator Franco issued "safe conduct" to the Jews of Spanish Morocco. In your writings I see that it is "As they say if you don't have the historical knowledge just make up the facts that suit you." Speaking of apologies, 1. May I ask you to apologize for having written an opinion piece filled with half truths and inaccuracies. 2. May I ask you to remember that the expulsion order also included our Muslim brethren living on the Iberian Peninsula. (I am not asking for rights on their behalf, they can do that for themselves, I am only setting the historical record straight) 3. May I ask you not to speak on my behalf, let me do that because I at least know what I am taking about. Wishing you a Shevua Tov from Jerusalem, E.N. Peres Galan y Tejera, (Samech Tet)

also apologize to the descendents of the Amalekites (although I believe we did a pretty complete massacre then) but maybe an apology is due to any descendents of of Og (Bashanites) and Sihon (Moraites)

the present govt in Spain is the direct political heir to pro Nazi Franco.Jews and |Israel are reviled in the official media while libellous allegations of all sorts abound to the point that Spaniards say they would rather have pigs gypsies or chechens than Jews as neighbours...says it all--- who wantsa an apology from the Devil???

Any "apology" would be meaningless. “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, you have your priorities wrong. Demanding an apology from the Spanish government for a 500 year old tragedy is like flying IAF jets over Auschwitz to shake a fist at past injustices and it just a fruitless act in the surreal. Your energies would be best spent on pushing, pleading and cajoling Jew to immigrate to Israel. Israel is country that does not depends on apologies and its citizens do not have a feeling of helplessness, but a very active in securing their defense and well being. So Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmid, instead of being the Chief Rabbi of Moscow, move your community to here on G-d's green earth and become a local community rabbi in Eretz Yisrael... Yossi

Ex chief Rabbi facilitating Yerida! Journaqlist for meaningless apology Is Ynet saving on hiring intelligent staff

With due respect for your function, I think you have no right to lay down conditions that are beyond your pale. As a Sephardic (Spanish-Portuguese descendant), I ask all of you who although have their hearts in their mouth of Ashkenaze origins to butt out from this issue, and start manipulating what the Sephardic communities throughout the world how they should or should not behave. This opportubity is right on time, (though in Portugal and in Spain you could have aviled yourself for a residence and a passport but, that is the difference, you have to wait two years and relinquish your other passport) as the March 2, 2014 will be the First Years of Separdic Days: and how it is convenient for the Sephardics and the rest of Israel population to start learning about The Sephardic Culture, Civilisation, contributions, not only during the Golden Era but since then; The Spinoza, the Michel Montaign, the D'israelis, The Sabagh-Montefiore and the great Moshe Yulee Levy and his son: The First Jewish American Senator from Florida (Florida is becoming the hub of the Sephardic World) and the greatest builder of the State as well as its Railways systems. You see, Rabbi, your mentality is completely different from that of the general Sephardic descendants; thus you may not speak on our behalf, let others as Chief Rabbi Amar and the President of the Spanish Jewish Federation of Communities, Mauricio Toledano take the and make the road to a civilised options. Israel, you ought to apologise for the way you've hijack the Narrative of the Moroccan Jewish Alya and created a schism that yet to be errased. Lets see you on March the Second 2014.

that is the most graceful verdict if God can accept it when someone sincerely repent and apologize! Otherwise why do you think North Korea love to punish Japan for their past evils? And why do Chinese also hated the Japanese so much? By the way in China there is virtually no antisemitism.

While some of the things in this article are definitely true, and even I have that feeling: "there should be some kind of apology", it's also sensible to think of what other readers have pointed out: these mistakes were made by barbaric and illiterate people more than 500 years ago. Is it still our responsibility? Well... I don't know. But it is part of our history. So what I would consider appropiate would be to openly say that the citizenship thing is a way to apologise. We cannot ignore what those people did, even if it's not our responsibility anymore. But don't expect much from us. Unfortunately our top politicians are not very intelligent, and our foreign relations minister is useless. What can I say! Our history is full of episodes like this. Our culture was rich because we had you in our lines, but we thought we were too good for you to be with us, "we don't need them, hah!", and from there everything went down, got worse and worse. The culture of this country is poorer than it could have been, and that's not the bad bad thing. The really bad thing is that today some people still have that "we don't need them, hah!" attitude towards many things. And that's why this country is... sad. One thing I have to point out, however. In the article it is said that "If the offer would have come in 1938 for example, I believe that many Jews of Europe would have gladly taken on the Spanish offer" That's not true... at that time we were in the middle of a TERRIBLE civil war, just before the dictatorship. What came during and after those yeears was murder, racism, outdated traditions... it was like going back to the Middle Age. Our dictator wanted to be like Hitler, however he 'normalised' after the entire world went to fight against Germany. So no, I don't think many people would have wanted to live there. Even less, Jewish people, under an openly fascist government (yes, fascist salutation and swastika included). I think that's all. I feel sorry that the politicians won't really make a change, and that the media here is against Israel. Usually the news are something like: ISRAEL BOMBS AND DESTROYS TENS OF BUILDINGS IN GAZA after rockets fired It's sad. However some people are friends of Israel. I don't really know how much an 'official' apology would do, but I think friendly citizens who support Israel in any way, or who go there and do good things, or who go there and stay and contribute to the wellbeing of the country... I think that's more... meaningful and useful. But that's just my opinion. Have a nice day.

Spain has a better life quality than Israel. Even with the current crisis. I've lived in both countries. I know what im talking about.

no other Jew shoul", says Mr. Goldshmith the Askenazi. Mr. Goldshmit, you can apply in your Moscow for a Siberian passport, as far as Russians are concerned, you are eligible.

to the descendents of those expelled is righting a historical wrong Or is this an attempt to stop Israeli Jews leaving Israel and demanding money instead? Nobody has the right to prevent anyone from having what is theirs through their inheritance and birthright

Is that a Spanish passports entitles you to free movement throughout the Eurozone. You don't need to move to Spain. There are plenty of other places in Europe you can move to with a EU passport

...is correct, and perhaps she is too modest to mention that a large part (perhaps the bulk) of Spain's wealth, the wealth which enables them to live high on the hog, belongs to us. By rights Spain ought to sign over to Israel's control, about 70% of its land, buildings and wealth. Then we can talk about apologies.

When a country expels an entire group for no good reason, it is etched in stone and never forgotten. Spain owes much more than just an apology.

Just to let you know the name Goldsmith Goldshmidt or Goldsmid is an old German Jewish name for a family that has origins in Spain . Most were originally from the Halevi family of Spain that had to adopt a European surname. This has been well researched.Many went to UK to become famous Goldsmid family but all are Levi or Halevi.

A good outcome after this demand, at least Mr. Putin knows now with whom he's dealing with if he didn't knew already. "Wherever the Jews settled after ceasing to be a nation ready to defend its liberty and independence, one observes the development of antisemitism, or rather anti-Judaism; for antisemitism is an ill chosen word, which has its raison d'etre only in our day, when it is sought to broaden this strife between the Jew and the Christians by supplying it with a philosophy and a metaphysical, rather than a material reason. If this hostility, this repugnance had been shown towards the Jews at one time or in one country only, it would be easy to account for the local causes of this sentiment. But this race has been the object of hatred with all the nations amidst whom it ever settled. Inasmuch as the enemies of the Jews belonged to divers races, as they dwelled far apart from one another, were ruled by different laws and governed by opposite principles; as they had not the same customs and differed in spirit from one another, so that they could not possibly judge alike of any subject, it must needs be that the general causes of antisemitism have always resided in Israel itself, and not in those who antagonized it" ,... Bernard Lazare

Jewish wealth was not very high in Spain. There were vast numbers of poor Jews and a few wealthy court Jews... sort of just like in Germany and Eastern Europe where a small number of Jews had great wealth and the rest lived in filthy stetls. get over it there is no money to be had.

The author asks … "How many Israelis with family names like Deri, Dahan and Abarbanel would want to leave their country in order to immigrate to Spain? If the offer would have come in 1938 for example,…." It was during this period of time when Zionists were collaborating with the Nazis to enable Jews to leave ONLY to Palestine so the issue was not to save lives if it meant going somewhere else. Jews being able to leave to other countries would have ruined the Zionist dream. Interesting too ,,,,demanding an apology from about 500 years ago…when Israel has yet to apologize to the Palestinian refugees whom it expelled only 66 years ago and their descendants while there are resolutions in place for their return which Israel refuses to acknowledge. The bottom line is that the last thing Israel wants is any of its Jewish citizens leaving, as many did when they went to Germany. The entire foundation of Zionism is to bring as many Jews as possible to Israel claiming that Jews do not belong anywhere else other than in Israel.