BS BULLETIN:
- Javier Bardem is facing fierce backlash after sharing an Instagram post claiming Israel and the “Western far-right” stand to benefit from Spain’s migrant crisis in Ceuta, igniting a political firestorm.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee blasted the Oscar winner, calling the actor “dim-witted” and dismissing the claim as a “laughable new blood libel” after tens of thousands of migrants surged into the Spanish enclave.
JAVIER BARDEM BLAMES ISRAEL FOR SPAIN’S BORDER CHAOS—AND THE INTERNET ERUPTS
Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem has wandered into one of Europe’s biggest political firestorms—and he’s taking plenty of heat for it.
The Dune star reposted an Instagram message over the weekend suggesting Israel and the “Western far-right” are the real beneficiaries of the massive migrant surge that overwhelmed the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The post argued that Spain’s outspoken criticism of Israel over the Middle East somehow made it a target and claimed the crisis was designed to destabilize the country rather than represent an “Islamic invasion” of Europe.
The theory didn’t sit well with Trump administration officials.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee unloaded on X, writing that Bardem’s claim was a “laughable new blood libel” and describing the actor as “another dim-witted actor who is as qualified to talk about Israel as Charles Schumer is to offer tips on grilling burgers.”
Huckabee concluded that Bardem was “Dumb & Dumber rolled into one person.“
The controversy comes as Spain continues dealing with the aftermath of last week’s unprecedented border breach, when an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco. Authorities say at least 72 migrants died during the chaos, while Morocco has reported additional fatalities on its side of the border. Most migrants have since returned to Morocco, but Spanish officials continue recovering bodies and securing the enclave.
President Donald Trump seized on the crisis during a Cabinet meeting Friday, calling the scenes from Spain “an invasion of a country.”
“I watched the catastrophe that took place,” Trump said. “And that same thing’s going to happen to us… except worse.”
Meanwhile, the political fallout continues spreading across Europe. Italy has temporarily suspended parts of the Schengen free-travel arrangement with Spain, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has blamed criminal smuggling networks and vowed tougher border enforcement.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Daily Mail: Oscar-winning Hollywood actor faces fury from Republicans for ‘dim-witted’ post blaming far-right for ‘benefitting from engineered migrant crisis’
- Associated Press: Ceuta grapples with aftermath of border surge after most migrants leave the Spanish territory
- The Guardian: Italy suspends parts of Schengen with Spain after Ceuta migrant crisis
- The Guardian: UK responds to Ceuta crisis with renewed border security push
- The Wall Street Journal: The Migrants Have Left Ceuta, but the Trauma Lingers
