Spain’s Movement Against Intolerance (Movimiento contra la Intolerancia, MCI) filed a complaint Friday with Spanish authorities over what it described as an “antisemitic hate map” in Catalonia, according to the Jewish news site Enfoque Judío.
The interactive map, titled Barcelonaz, deliberately marked Jewish and Israeli institutions, businesses and organizations, as well as international companies operating in Israel, labeling them ideologically as “Zionist.”
The French platform that hosted the map told Enfoque Judío that the project had identified and geographically mapped Jewish- and Israeli-owned businesses in Catalonia, mainly in Barcelona, and that it had since been shut down. A company representative said the map is “no longer available,” and the link now redirects to the platform’s homepage.
According to MCI’s complaint, the map identified 152 schools, companies, nonprofits and businesses allegedly linked to Jews or Israel, using a public, interactive and collaborative mapping technology. It included addresses, phone numbers and email contacts, encouraged users to add new locations and solicited donations to support the initiative.
MCI said the project went beyond legitimate political criticism and instead functioned as a tool for targeting, stigmatization and incitement to discrimination. Among the sites listed was a dedicated entry for the Hatikva Jewish school, described on the map as “a school that teaches and instills Zionist values in children and adolescents.” The movement said marking a Jewish educational institution and leveling ideological accusations criminalizes minors and educational frameworks and violates freedom of belief.
Enfoque Judío was unable to reach the creators of the platform, who describe themselves as a group of “students, teachers and journalists.” However, social media activity indicated the initiative gained traction in anti-Israel left-wing circles and was promoted by activist groups including Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic, Enginyeria Sense Fronteres Catalunya and Universitats amb Palestina, which presented the map as a tool to “expose the Zionist economy.”
Mass pro-Palestinian march in Barcelona
(Video: Reuters)
The affair sparked strong reactions within Catalonia’s Jewish community, partly due to comparisons with Nazi Germany, where Jewish-owned businesses were publicly marked. The Jewish Community of Barcelona appealed on social media to Catalan regional President Salvador Illa, asking whether the government intends to take action in response to the labeling of Jewish institutions and businesses.
The Spanish organization ACOM, which combats antisemitism, also condemned the map, saying, “It is unclear what is more repugnant — the creator, the distributor or the opportunistic politician who incites the mob to hatred.”
MCI President Esteban Ibarra told Enfoque Judío that the complaint addresses not only incitement to hatred, but also two additional concerns: the possible existence of an antisemitic criminal network and the responsibility of the GoGoCarto platform, which he said hosted a harmful and potentially criminal map for months without oversight.
MCI said the case reflects a broader global rise in antisemitism and called for a comprehensive legal review of both the initiative and the responsibility of digital platforms that host such content.