Pro-Israel Group Launches Madrid Campaign Linking Ceuta Border Breach to Oct. 7 Massacre
A Spanish advocacy group used buses to draw parallels between a large-scale migrant crossing into Ceuta and the Hamas-led attack on Israel, coinciding with the third anniversary of the massacre.
On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, a prominent Spanish pro-Israel group launched a billboard campaign in Madrid, drawing a comparison between the Hamas-led attack on Israel and a mass border breach in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.
"Did Ceuta make you feel threatened? Imagine they’d come in to kill us. That was 7 October in Israel," read one message displayed on buses that traveled throughout Madrid on Oct. 6 and 7 as part of a campaign by Action and Communication on the Middle East (ACOM).
On July 30 and 31, tens of thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco, overwhelming local authorities and prompting Spain to deploy additional police and military personnel. Spanish authorities initially estimated that about 50,000 people crossed, with later estimates reaching approximately 72,000. At least 72 people died during these crossings, according to Spanish authorities.
ACOM stated that its campaign featured two fully wrapped buses that traveled Madrid’s major streets for 10 hours a day. Other messages included: "Israel did what it had to do: defend itself" and "Don’t confuse the victim with the culprit."
The buses traveled near landmarks including the Agriculture Ministry in Atocha, the KIO Towers in Plaza de Castilla and Plaza de Cibeles. ACOM estimated that the campaign generated between 160,000 and 280,000 street impressions over the two days.
The organization noted that the Ceuta migrants "did not come in to murder families or to massacre a festival." Angel Mas, ACOM’s founder and CEO, told JNS that the juxtaposition was intended "to underline for Spanish audiences the threat Israel faces and the scale of the Oct. 7 invasion."
The campaign also criticized the Spanish government for what ACOM described as singling out Israel and contributing to hostility toward Jews in Spain.
Monica Vidal, a JNS contributor and dual Spanish-US citizen, welcomed the campaign, stating that "It uses a recent Spanish experience to make the events of Oct. 7 feel less distant and abstract." She added that it prompts Spaniards to consider their reaction to a threatened border and imagine the more extreme reality faced by Israelis during the Oct. 7 attacks.
