The ship, which carried approximately 11 million gold and silver coins, was estimated by Sky News to be worth about $20 billion and earned the nickname "the Holy Grail of shipwrecks."

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Shlomit (a pseudonym), an Israeli who previously lived in Spain and bought an apartment there, said that about 10 days ago, she tried to transfer funds to her Sabadell account to pay her mortgage. The money never arrived. "I contacted the bank, and they told me that due to sanctions on Israel and their internal policy, they couldn't process the transfer," she said. "They asked for all my tax reports, translated by a notary into English and Spanish. That demand was totally unreasonable."

Shlomit hired a Spanish lawyer, who contacted the bank to clarify the legal basis for their actions. After receiving a response, the lawyer threatened to sue. Two days later, the bank allowed the transfer, without updating the lawyer. "I really hope this gets resolved and there won't be more issues," she said. Israeli friends of hers in Spain also said they were unable to transfer money unless they declared that the source was not from Judea and Samaria.

A document sent by the bank to Israeli customers, obtained by Israel Hayom, contained extraordinary requirements. Titled "Declaration Form on the Purpose of Goods/Services for Export/Import to Israel," it required customers to affirm that their transaction did not violate restrictions imposed by a Spanish royal decree dated September 23, 2025, "which adopted urgent measures against genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian population."

Customers were required to state the geographic origin of their funds and confirm that "in the case of an import transaction, the products involved do not originate from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, in accordance with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice dated July 19, 2024."

Beyond the inherent discrimination of singling out only Israeli citizens for such declarations, and the liquidity challenges this caused for Israelis with financial dealings in Spain, there were concerns that other countries considering boycotts of Israel would emulate this policy. "Do they conduct similar checks on funds coming from Iran or Lebanon or other places where there are human rights concerns?" asked another Israeli living in Spain. "Of course not. This is something targeted specifically at Israel, and if it continues, we are planning to sue the bank."

On Thursday, Israelis living in Spain received a message from the Israeli Embassy saying, "We received a commitment from the bank that the steps taken against Israeli clients and the requirement to sign the accompanying form have been stopped. Please update us if anyone continues to experience difficulties with them." According to Israeli residents in Spain, the efforts were led by Dana Erlich, the Head of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Spain.

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The legal officials clarified that since Israel has declared a naval blockade, it must be consistently enforced without exceptions, and therefore the flotilla must not be allowed to pass. Security officials noted that the ships might contain ammunition that would aid Hamas, making it mandatory to inspect the contents before they are permitted to pass. For these reasons, it was decided that the new flotilla will be handled in a manner very similar to how the previous flotilla was managed.

Accordingly, once the flotilla reaches the maritime border of Gaza, IDF forces, led by the Israeli Navy, will operate according to international regulations and will warn the boats not to advance further. If they cooperate, they will be redirected to one of Israel's ports. If they refuse, the IDF will forcibly seize control of the boats and tow them to Israeli shores. Following their arrival in the country, the participants will undergo a legal procedure similar to what took place the last time. However, urgent discussions are being held in Israel on the question of whether to release them, especially regarding participants for whom this will be their second attempt to breach the blockade, such as Greta Thunberg.

It should be noted that based on intelligence information gathered in Israel, the flotilla is not only designed to assist Hamas propaganda but was also funded and organized by the organization, meaning the flotilla was intended to be a media gimmick from start to finish. Against this backdrop, alongside the operational preparation, there is an extensive and coordinated public relations effort by the Foreign Ministry, the IDF, the Israel Police, and the other agencies that are monitoring the flotilla and preparing to address it. This is intended to provide a real-time media response to any expected provocation from the participants. It should be noted that already, Israel's messages regarding the flotilla have garnered millions of views on social networks, whereas the participants' publications are receiving comparatively little and small attention.

Israel and Italy have offered the flotilla participants the option to unload the contents of the boats at legitimate ports in the Middle East, so that the contents could undergo a security inspection and then be transferred to the Gaza Strip through the conventional routes. Nonetheless, all the offers were rejected by them. Foreign Ministry Director General Eitan Bar Tal stated on Thursday in a response during a press conference for the foreign media, "The flotilla's refusals prove once again that its real purpose is not the transfer of humanitarian aid, but rather provocation and service to the terrorist organization Hamas. Israel reiterates: the entry of vessels into an active combat zone will not be permitted and the violation of the lawful naval siege will not be allowed."

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Israel Hayom learned that the cause was threats written in response to the publication of Erlich's planned presentation. Among other things, through flyers distributed against her, which stated: "Zionists – not here, not anywhere! Cut all ties with Israel on the way to its dismantling."

Instead of securing the event, local police surrendered to the threats and canceled the Israeli official's presentation in the country – testimony to the new low in relations between the countries and in the spirit of the Spanish prime minister's recent statements against Israel.

The presentation's cancellation joins the halting of the Vuelta cycling race on Sunday due to protests against an Israeli team that participated in it, and demonstrations that erupted during it without police control. And of course, the government's measures announced a week ago that it would not permit the entry of two Israeli ministers: Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Several days ago, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar harshly criticized the Spanish government's conduct and even announced the imposition of personal sanctions against Spanish government members. Sa'ar said then, "It's remarkable that Spain's current leaders ignore what they did throughout history to the Jewish people."

"One of the greatest acts of ethnic cleansing in history was the expulsion of all Jews from Spain, not to mention the Inquisition, not to mention the forced conversion of religion. We decided, and I announce today, that we will not allow two Spanish government members to enter Israel, and we will not conduct any contact with them, after their consistent antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric."

He also said: "Unfortunately, the current Spanish government, the current Spanish prime minister, are crushed under pressure from very extreme parties, communists and others, who pressure them time after time to take steps against Israel."

"And now we drew a red line here, which proves we will not accept this from them anymore. And another thing I want to say: if they want to stop security ties with Israel, who do you think will lose from this? We don't need Spain to defend the Land of Israel. They apparently need Israeli capabilities much more than we need them."

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"As you know, Spain does not have nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers or vast oil reserves," Sánchez said. "On our own, we cannot stop the Israeli offensive. But that does not mean we will stop trying. Because there are causes worth fighting for, even if achieving them is not solely in our hands."

He then went on to describe steps his government has taken over the past two years to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and to ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

It remains unclear whether Sánchez believes that military intervention, including nuclear weapons, is necessary to stop the war in Gaza. He has never previously spoken in such terms, and Spanish officials did not feel compelled to clarify the remarks, which have been left open to interpretation on social media.

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Through this decision, Spain enters a considerable list of other nations that already declared similar sanctions against the two ministers this past June. The countries in question include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. Ben-Gvir reacted to the announcement by suggesting Madrid let Gazans who want to leave immigrate to Spain, writing in Spanish: "No me dejen entrar amí... a los de Gaza, denles entrada libre a España" (Don't let me in... to those from Gaza, give them free entry to Spain). The plan to have Gazans relocate voluntarily has been met by opposition by many countries, who view this as illegal, although Israel said this is never going to be imposed on the population.

Those nations attributed the sanctions to "incitement to violence against Palestinians" carried out by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. The official statement at the time asserted that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were "responsible for incitement, promotion, and support of activity that constitutes a serious violation of the human right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, especially acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank."

On Monday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Spain "will increase the pressure" on Israel by forbidding ships and planes transporting weapons to Israel from docking at Spanish ports or entering Spanish airspace. He also announced the recalling of the ambassador.

Spain will also boost its assistance to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and will place an embargo on goods manufactured in Israeli settlements in the "occupied" Palestinian territories, he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar stated in a declaration that Sánchez is attempting to deflect public focus from his internal corruption scandals and described his measures as "antisemitic."

Israel reacted by barring Minister of Labor and Social Economy Yolanda Díaz and Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego, both from the junior far-left Sumar coalition partner, from entering Israel.

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Sánchez said Spain would "increase pressure" on Israel by banning ships and planes carrying weapons to Israel from entering Spanish ports or airspace. He also announced that Spain would expand funding to the Palestinian Authority and to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and impose an embargo on goods produced in Judea and Samaria.

In response, Sa'ar accused Sánchez of trying to divert attention from his own domestic corruption scandals, denouncing the measures as antisemitic. "The Spanish government is leading a hostile anti-Israel line, with wild and hate-filled rhetoric. The attempt by Sánchez's corrupt administration to distract from severe corruption scandals with a continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic campaign is transparent," Sa'ar said.

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Una cosa es proteger tu país y otra muy distinta bombardear hospitales y matar de hambre a niños inocentes.

Lo que está haciendo Israel es exterminar a un pueblo indefenso. Es quebrantar todas las leyes del derecho humanitario.

No podemos quedarnos de brazos cruzados. pic.twitter.com/Rixepv1nRN

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 8, 2025

 "We hope these measures will increase pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering endured by the Palestinian population," Sánchez said in a public speech broadcast on local television. He wrote on X: "It's one thing to protect your country, but quite another to bomb hospitals and starve innocent children. What Israel is doing is exterminating a defenseless people. It's breaking all the rules of humanitarian law. We can't stand idly by."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated on Monday, stating that Sánchez is attempting to divert public attention from his internal corruption scandals and described his actions as "antisemitic."

Israel responded by banning Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both from the far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, from entering Israel.

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The report gathered insights from experts on the ground regarding the situation in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Its conclusion states that in those nine countries, there is "clear and repeated patterns of antisemitic or otherwise harmful behaviors."

These patterns include threats and physical violence against individual Jewish students or staff members. They also include calls for violence as an appropriate form of protest, solidarity with Hamas as well as with other terrorist movements and individuals, widespread distortion of the Holocaust and its use as a tool, calls for the destruction of Israel, and extensive vandalism, strikes, and targeted vandalism of Jewish buildings.

The authors note that there is a "normalization of antisemitic narratives at universities across national borders… anchored in almost all countries under the guise of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist or human rights narratives."

The Hamas attack on October 7 is referred to as "resistance" or "liberation," and convicted terrorists are celebrated as heroes (for example, Walid Daqqa, Georges Abdallah). This was the case, for example, in Spain, where Samidoun activists publicly thanked Hamas for its actions. In Germany, activists from the "Zora" feminist group, which is involved in the student protests,  described the Hamas attack as an act of self-defense.

The report adds that it is not just the October 7 massacre that is being inverted, but also the Holocaust. "A clear common feature of the demonstrations is also the increased emergence of Holocaust distortion in the form of relativization and instrumentalization. This is expressed, for example, in the equation of Israel with Nazi Germany, as seen for instance in Spain and Sweden, or in France and Belgium, where swastikas have appeared at universities and in the dormitories of Jewish students."

The report adds that, similar to the US, universities in Europe have "often reacted hesitantly to the protests, sometimes with tacit approval or by invoking freedom of expression – in some cases, antisemitic actors were not sanctioned. The occupation of the Institute of Social  Sciences in Berlin, which led to vandalism, shouts of "Intifada" and red Hamas triangles, was initially tolerated by Humboldt University Berlin President Julia von Blumenthal. Instead, an invitation to a dialogue was extended – a troubling sign towards all Jewish students."

In this atmosphere, the report states, "many Jewish students report that they hide their identity and avoid the campus for fear of violence. The psychological impact of the protests is very alarming, with fear and panic playing a major role in everyday student life. As a result, Jewish students are withdrawing more and more and are less a part of public university life."

One of the most stunning findings in the report is the support from faculty members and the university establishment.

"In Italy, many professors and parts of the university administration have taken a very supportive stance, and the academic senates of multiple universities announced that they would no longer cooperate with Israel," the report read. "In doing so, they are responding to a frequently voiced demand in university protests to sever all university ties with Israel. In Spain, too, the protests have received explicit support from the university. Professors who are actively participating are often BDS activists themselves. In Austria and the UK, several lecturers have made explicitly antisemitic or terror-glorifying statements. This normalizes antisemitic narratives at an academic level and reinforces students' radical views."

The report also reveals coordination and involvement of organizations with documented ties to terrorism, such as Samidoun or Masar Badil, both known for their links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – the PFLP, a designated terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

"This report makes clear that Europe's universities are failing their Jewish students," B'nai B'rith International president Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin said. "Just as we have seen on campuses across the United States, antisemitism here is too often excused as 'activism' – but in reality, it is a threat to safety, inclusion and the very integrity of higher education."

B'nai B'rith International Director of EU Affairs Alina Bricman, said: "When Jewish students fear being violently harassed on campus, when in the most prestigious European universities Jewish students might find swastikas or death threats on their personal property, when they are not allowed access to spaces and events due to their presumed Zionism – the free speech argument is a canard. The lack of action on the part of academic institutions is shameful."

Democ co-executive director Grischa Stanjek said: "What we are seeing on individual campuses are not isolated incidents of student protest. The documentation gathered in this report makes it clear that we are dealing with highly coordinated, transnational networks that operate as part of a global movement. They strategically disguise an antisemitic agenda in the language of human rights to gain legitimacy. University leaders are making a grave mistake if they treat these events as local flare-ups instead of what they are: calculated manifestations of a global, anti-democratic campaign."

In her forward to the report, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life Katharina von Schnurbein noted that "European Jewish students have at times opted to hide their identity or in some cases abandon in-person learning altogether due to the environment of hatred that has surrounded them." She stressed that "decisive action, and where necessary prosecution, is needed to prevent further poisoning of the public space."

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The controversial advice centers on a specific response strategy when romantic partners express anger or frustration. "If your partner is very angry with you, try this expression and I promise you will never argue again," Gallardo declared, according to Spanish publication El Periodico.

His methodology addresses everyday relationship tensions through a common domestic scenario. Gallardo described situations where one partner commits to completing a household task like removing trash but fails to follow through, triggering conflict when questioned about the oversight.

The psychologist outlined two distinct response approaches. The first involves defensive confrontation – questioning why the partner reacts angrily and dismissing their emotional response as disproportionate to a minor oversight. Gallardo warned this defensive strategy typically escalates rather than resolves tensions.

His recommended alternative involves immediate acknowledgment and action. "Yes, my love, I'm going to do it," accompanied by genuine physical affection and prompt completion of the promised task. This conciliatory approach, he argued, addresses both the practical concern and underlying emotional needs.

"Implementing this idea and saying this phrase will solve 99% of your relationship problems," the psychologist claimed.

Gallardo distinguished between surface-level practical issues and deeper emotional dynamics driving relationship conflicts. "The problems are often not real; these are emotional problems concerning how the other person feels based on your failure to keep your word or their expectations," he observed. Addressing these emotional foundations, he suggested, naturally resolves practical disputes.

The relationship expert cautioned that persistent or intense arguments can significantly damage couples' emotional connection and collaborative partnership. He acknowledged that many clients seek professional guidance specifically for managing recurring disputes, emphasizing the importance of rational, constructive conflict management for relationship improvement.

Rather than viewing his approach as temporary crisis management, Gallardo presented it as a sustainable communication strategy applicable to various relationship tensions, describing it as an accessible technique for managing partnership conflicts effectively.

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