Over July 30-31, some 60,000 migrants—mainly young men—swam and climbed their way from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish exclave on the African continent bordering Morocco, in an explosive mass migration that overwhelmed Spanish authorities and shocked the world. So far, 67 migrants are known to have died in the process. Ceuta itself has a population of only about 85,000, and has a 30% unemployment rate. According to the Spanish government, nearly all of the migrants had been returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with the cooperation of Moroccan authorities.
There is clear evidence that this was a carefully orchestrated international operation, perhaps implemented through human trafficking networks, but designed with a strategic intent. Middle East Monitor, a London-based Muslim publication, published an article July 31 headlined “Ceuta crisis sparks online speculation over Israel’s role in pressuring Spain.” The article notes: “The emergency in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has sparked an intense online debate over Israel’s possible role in efforts to punish Madrid over its outspoken support for Palestine. The speculation intensified after social media users resurfaced articles published earlier this year by pro-Israel analysts who argued that Israel and the US should aid Morocco over its claim to Ceuta and Melilla as a means of pressuring Spain.”
One of the articles in question was a March 16, 2026 piece written by Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the neocon American Enterprise Institute, which urged Morocco to forcefully take Ceuta. “Moroccans should gather, send bulldozers to the border, and then enter Ceuta and Melilla unarmed to raise the flag.” Rubin, a former Pentagon official and who also previously worked at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), frequently writes in defense of Israel and a tight U.S.-Israeli relationship.
Middle East Monitor continued: “A separate article published by the Israeli outlet Ynet in April recommended that Israel could use its influence in Washington to help Morocco ‘recover’ Ceuta and Melilla. The author, Middle East Forum fellow Amine Ayoub, presented support for Rabat’s territorial claim as a means of punishing Spain for challenging US and Israeli policies. Social media users also shared a 2019 tweet by Yair Netenyahu the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu.”
