[Cronos]

two points to note -

1. Jews in Visigothic Spain aided the Moors in the conquest of Spain. This, like the Jewish support of Arab invasions in Cyrene, Egypt, Syria and Israel seem to have been a counter-reaction by Jews to Christians and also that they mistook the Arabs as belonging to a version of Judaism -- since the Arab Moorish conquerors were strictly monotheistic

2. Jews in Muslim Spain quite often sided with the Muslims when the Christians were conquering the Muslim cities. This again is explainable as "supporting the devil you know"

This was the memory that led to the expulsion of Jews from spain in 1492 -- This has nothing to do with the inquisition which started over a hundred years LATER but had everything to do with ridding a perceived "enemy within". We can argue about this, but that is what the Spanish conquerors perceived.

[amihow]

Thank you for this post. The truth opens eyes.

Countries all over the world, including the U.S. need a Ferdinand and Isabella. Islam is a conqueror and a tyrant until defeated by expulsion. Or worse.

[nwrep]

Sure. They had their reasons to doubt and suspect the Jews of collusion. The expulsion still stands as a black mark on Spanish history. It caused a major Jewish calamity and led to the Sephardic Jewish diaspora.

[Ancesthntr]

The Spanish Inquisition was DIRECTLY related to the Expulsion. Jews were given a choice: leave (the place where their families had lived for hundreds of years), convert or die. Many left, many converted and many were killed. Of those who converted, quite a number continued to practice the faith that their ancestors had maintained for 3,000 years in secret. It took the authorities a while to catch on, but when they did, they went after people with a vengeance. Also, as is part of human nature, many individuals and many in the Spanish government did not “let the crisis go to waste” and used the opportunity to get rid of business or personal rivals/enemies.

Without the necessary prerequisite if the Expulsion, there could have been no Inquisition.

[katana]

As usual, Cronos, your response is exactly correct. The Moors employed Jewish dhimmis in many government positions. They were far better educated than their rulers and formed a managerial and business class, albeit still as Dhimmis. And to be honest, they were more tolerantly treated under Moorish rule than under the Gothic Christians.

So 1492 represents the year of final expulsion of Jews and Muslims by Ferdinand and Isabella from Spain. The former became the Sephardi Jewish diaspora. Those who managed to remain were the later subjects of the Inquisition and forced conversions. Some actually emigrated to Spanish America to avoid the worst of it. Centuries prior, King John expelled the Jews from England. They were only permitted to legally return under Cromwell around 400 years later.

I had business dealings with some descendants of the Spanish Sephardi in Istanbul, where their ancestors no doubt settled after the Turks' conquest and three days massacre of 1453.