How Israel and the European far right tried to exploit Ceuta

What the report says

Al Jazeera opinion writer Ahmed Najar argues that the mass migration episode in Ceuta, on the Spanish enclave’s border with Morocco, was quickly turned from a humanitarian crisis into a political weapon. The article says dozens died during attempts to cross, and that far-right voices and anti-immigration politicians rapidly used the incident to amplify warnings about an “Islamic invasion” and demands for tighter border controls. It notes that Italy later announced it was restoring border checks with Spain.

Najar says the episode also fed a broader message promoted by Israeli officials and allied European politicians: that criticism of Israel, rising concern over Gaza and worries about anti-Semitism are being linked to Muslim migration and demographic change. The piece cites figures such as Benjamin Netanyahu, Viktor Orban, Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen and Tommy Robinson as examples of political actors who have echoed versions of this framing while supporting hard-line positions on immigration.

The article argues that this convergence matters because it can shift debate about Gaza and Palestine away from human rights and international law and toward security language, making pro-Palestinian activism easier to portray as suspect. It stresses that anti-Semitism is real and serious, but warns against broadening the term to include legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. Overall, the piece presents Ceuta as an example of how migration crises can be folded into Europe’s culture wars and used to narrow public discussion.