Wow! What an amazing story! How so many Jewish lives were saved, during WWII and long afterward.
Franco was never the monster the Left made him out to be, and his triumph in 1936-39 was a far preferable outcome to communist victory. A dictator maybe, but one who bequeathed to his people both democracy and a restored monarchy. He applied the 1924 law to save Jewish lives even though it did not affect Spain directly.
Italians never really embraced Nazi antisemitism. Some acted heroically to save Jews as it is now learned.
Franco’s rescue of Jews from an enraged Arab world in 1967 is especially noteworthy.
Its possible to despise the Communists, despise the utter romantic claptrap about the International Brigades and also at the same time greatly dislike Franco. I think either side’s victory would have been/was a tragedy for a great country and a lovely people.
And before we all get weepy about old Frank, lets not forget that he happily sent Spanish troops eastwards in 1941, to fight alongside the Nazis in the USSR and Eastern Europe. Sorry, but I am struggling to gather the admiration for him that you and others here clearly have.
And I say that as an avowed Spanophile.