> “I’ve never heard of a country trying to make amends in this way. More power to them for trying to do something to set things right.”<
I disagree. I find absurd the whole concept of trying to remedy wrongs that took place in the distant past. It’s too late to help those who really suffered, and the descendents of neither the perpetrators nor the wronged are closely related to their ancestors.
At four generations a century — with the genetic connection being halved at each generation — even a descendant from someone in 1800 is only 1/256 connected. For 1500, a few years after the 1492 expulsion, the connection would be 1/1048576 (if I’ve calculated correctly). Less than one millionth. Of course, I’d expect a Sephardic descendent to have many Sephardic ancestors, but still there would be dilution across the centuries.
In any case the moral debt or entitlement is simply not there. The advantage of automatic Spanish citizenship may be a minor one (and I doubt that many persons of Sephardic origin would want to take advantage of it). Still, I think giving it is unfair to others.
I did the math according to your parameter and got 1/32 connection to my ancestors born in 1800. Are you going up to those born this year? Is that where 1/256 comes from?