Spanish authorities probe Madrid school over anti-Israel play featuring children dressed as Hamas-like gunmen

Authorities previously banned the display of Palestinian flags on the facades of public schools, a measure that drew fierce criticism from left-wing parties and activists.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into a public school in Madrid after 10-year-old students performed a pro-Palestinian play while dressed in military-style clothing resembling Hamas terrorists and carrying toy weapons, sparking outrage among the local Jewish community and political leaders.

Madrid’s Ministry of Education initiated an inspection into the school, located in the southern district of Puente de Vallecas, over allegations that the institution may have violated the political neutrality required in Spain’s public education system, the Spanish news outlet VozPópuli reported on Wednesday.

Shared widely on social media, footage from the anti-Israel school performance appears to show 10-year-old children dressed in military-style uniforms resembling members of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, wearing balaclavas, and holding toy rifles.

During the performance, the children could be heard chanting phrases such as, “With strength and courage, we will not surrender.”

Some of the girls wearing Palestinian keffiyehs were also heard chanting lines including: “We must wake up,” “Resistance and freedom,” “We don’t want to cry another day,” and “Raise the scarf high, lift your voice to the wind, shout freedom, do not be afraid.”

With the investigation now underway, local authorities have reportedly opened disciplinary proceedings against those responsible for the activity over concerns about possible political bias and inappropriate influence on the children.

Meanwhile, the school has defended the performance as a student-led initiative, seeking to distance itself from direct responsibility for the controversial activity.

Under Spanish law, the Madrid regional Education Ministry has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping public school classrooms free from political ideology and activism.

Authorities previously banned the display of Palestinian flags on the facades of public schools, a measure that drew fierce criticism from left-wing parties and activists.

Leaders within Madrid’s Jewish community have expressed outrage over the performance and are urging regional authorities to take action against the school, arguing that highly politicized activities of this nature should have no place in public education and demanding safeguards to ensure similar incidents are not repeated.

Like most countries across Europe and the broader Western world, Spain has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Still, Spain stands out as one of the most extreme cases, with experts warning that antisemitic violence and anti-Zionist rhetoric have moved beyond a social phenomenon to, in many instances, being state-promoted and legitimized as a political tool.

In particular, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and several members of his socialist party have come under mounting criticism from some of the country’s political and Jewish leaders, who accuse them of fueling antisemitic hostility.