Overview
- Two Jewish women were escorted out of a private event at Sauna Thermas in Barcelona after one wore a Star of David pendant and an organiser asked if she was a “Zionist,” footage of the exchange shows.
- The victims recorded the confrontation and the video shows other attendees chanting “Free Palestine, please leave” while staff and organisers prevented the couple from entering.
- Sauna Thermas publicly condemned the conduct, announced the organising group Bolleras al Vapor will no longer hold events at the venue, and said it rejects antisemitism and discrimination.
- Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Community of Barcelona called the episode antisemitic and demanded intervention by specialised discrimination and hate‑crime services, while a Spanish pro‑Israel group has said it will pursue legal action.
- The case has reignited debate about treating Jewish symbols as political statements, venue responsibility for private events, and broader recent reports of anti‑Jewish incidents in Spain that critics say warrant closer police and administrative scrutiny.