Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem has drawn criticism from Republicans after amplifying a social media post that blamed the Spain-Morocco border crisis on the “far-right.”
The Hollywood veteran, known for his role in Dune, reposted an Instagram Story on Saturday alleging that Israel and the “Western far-right” stand to gain from a “destabilized Spain.”
The controversy followed the illegal crossing of about 60,000 migrants, mostly from Morocco and Algeria, into Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, on Thursday.
According to reports, the group avoided a long border fence by entering the sea from the Moroccan side, swimming around the barrier and then pushing onto the Spanish coastline.
The post shared by Bardem claimed: “Spain has been Europe’s loudest voice against Israeli and US war crimes in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran.”
It also stated: “Yair Netanyahu publicly called on ‘Arabs and Muslims’ to ‘liberate’ Ceuta and Melilla – and explicitly threatened to fund NGOs pushing for it, as direct retaliation for Spain’s Palestine solidarity. That is not speculation. That is on the record.”
The Instagram Story continued: “We don’t know who engineered this crisis, but we know who benefits from a weakened, destabilized Spain: Israel, and the Western far right eager to turn migration into a weapon against Muslims.”
“Conclusion: this has nothing to do with Islam ‘invading’ Europe, and everything to do with punishing the loudest European government still willing to call a genocide a genocide,” the post said.
Javier Bardem and his wife Penelope Cruz, Bardem reposted an Instagram Story about the Spain-Morocco border crisis
The post claims Israel and the ‘Western far-right’ benefit from a ‘destabilized Spain’
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slammed the actor on X, calling him ‘dim-witted’
Bardem supporting this statement struck a nerve among Republicans, including US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee took to X to respond to Bardem’s shared post, slamming him as a ‘dim-witted’ actor who is not ‘qualified’ to speak about the crisis.
‘This laughable new blood libel by another dim-witted actor who is as qualified to talk about Israel as Charles Schumer is to offer tips on grilling burgers actually blames Israel for the illegal immigrants flooding Spain,’ Huckabee wrote.
‘He’s “Dumb & Dumber” rolled into one person,’ he lashed.
President Donald Trump condemned Spain over the crisis on Friday, calling the border rush a ‘catastrophe.’
‘I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country,’ said Trump at a cabinet meeting.
‘Hundreds of thousands of people. And that same thing’s going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected, except worse, much bigger, much easier to get into.’
The migrant rush started on Thursday afternoon, and carried on well into the night, even after Spanish military units were deployed to the enclave from the mainland.
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The rush started on Thursday afternoon, and carried on well into the night
About 60,000 migrants were able to bypass a long border fence between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Thursday
Migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Thursday, July 30, 2026
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem back in 2025
The Hollywood Icon and Dune star was hit with backlash by Republicans over his beliefs that Israel and the ‘far-right’ benefit from the migrant crisis
Hundreds of people were seen at the border in the Moroccan town of Fnideq after the crossing was closed off, with some celebrating and shouting: ‘Long live Spain!’
Shockingly, upon their arrival, the migrants were seen apparently trying to break into homes across the city late at night, with local media reporting that a Moroccan couple carrying a baby used a ladder to climb up to a first-floor window, break a window, and climb in.
Around 100 people are believed to have died while making their journey – including several children and two women – with some swimming for 10 hours before they could make it to shore.
Police unions said the surge was fueled by a recent Supreme Court ruling that they believe encouraged more migrants to try to cross.
The powerful judicial body ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla – another Spanish enclave further along the Moroccan coast – cannot be summarily returned under the enclaves’ special border-rejection regime.
