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To: Cicero

The Spanish Inquisition and the resulting diaspora of Spain's Jews is still held in great disrepute among Jews.

Them were vile times, and there is not intergenerational guilt. But historical accuracy is proper, and the Spaniards did not acquit themselves well after defeating the Moors.


35 posted on 03/19/2006 7:23:08 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (The Prophet Muhammed, Piss Be Upon Him)
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To: Brad Cloven

In general I am in sympathy with the Jews and with Israel, but what happened in 1492 was far from one sided.

Ferdinand and Isabella presided over the final days of a struggle that lasted for many centuries: the Reconquista, to reconquer their country and drive the Moors out of Spain, after the Muslim invaders had conquered the entire country except for a few surviving free Spaniards in the mountains.

In 1492, Spain was still threatened by the Muslims of North Africa and by the Turkish fleets. Constantinople had fallen in 1453. Turkish pirates controlled much of the Mediterranean. The coasts of Spain and Italy were raided, and Christian slaves were taken.

Some of the Jews in Spain traded with the Turks. Some of them may have assisted the Turks in their raids and given them information. In the circumstances, a life and death struggle that had gone on for generations against terrible odds, it is understandable that the Spanish were worried about the dangers posed by a Jewish Fifth column. That was basically the reason why they expelled the Jews.

No doubt many or most of the Spanish Jews were innocent of the charge of betraying Spain. But the fears of the Spanish were understandable, I believe. I'm not altogether excusing what happened, but this side of the story is not usually told. The basic motivator was not religious bigotry or racial purity, but a well-founded hatred and fear of the Muslim enemy at the gates and an unwillingness to trust anyone who could not be absolutely relied on.


72 posted on 03/19/2006 8:03:27 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Brad Cloven; Cicero
Them were vile times, and there is not intergenerational guilt. But historical accuracy is proper, and the Spaniards did not acquit themselves well after defeating the Moors.

The Jews helped betray Spain into the hands of the Muslims during the invasion in the 8th century.

156 posted on 03/20/2006 8:15:59 AM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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