No, Israel Didn’t Cause The Train Collision In Spain
This week, two trains collided in Spain. At least 68 people were killed. Like clockwork, the tragedy immediately became a magnet for conspiracy theories. All over social media, people claimed that Israel was behind the tragedy, and used some supposedly airtight “proofs” to make their case.
Example of a viral conspiracy post
Let’s break this down. Why the claims are false as well as how they are perfect examples of how conspiracy theories become self-fulfilling echo chambers made to confirm people’s predetermined beliefs.
False proof 1: “Netanyahu threatened Spain with train accidents”
Like most conspiracy theories, this one begins with a kernel of truth. Israel – and Netanyahu specifically – and Spain have recently had very real strains in their relationship. Spain has been sharply critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza as well as its offensives in Lebanon and Iran.
In response, Netanyahu claimed that Spain would pay an “immediate price.” This was no doubt a hostile threat, but this is not even close to the same thing as proof.
There have also been some viral videos that claim they show Netanyahu specifically threatening train accidents. These are manipulated and fake, as anyone can see if they view the original video Netanyahu put out. Multiple fact checkers in Spain debunked them after they spread due to another train accident in the country.
Example of a fake threat
False proof 2: “Israeli companies run Spain’s train safety”
Yes, there are Israeli firms that are connected to Spain’s train safety. And neither of them have anything to do with the actual causes of the incidents. One provides security guards. The other is a cybersecurity firm without a connection to the incident in Toledo.
In fact, the failure happened in the line’s signalling system, a German design maintained by a French company. No official has pointed to a cyberattack, and nothing ties either company to the crash.
False proof 3: “It’s the third crash this year”
Again, the kernel of truth is expanded into a conspiracy theory. It is true there were three crashes. But it’s false that Israel had connection to any of them.
Each of those three had specific, and different, causes. None of which were connected to Israel, as multiple fact checkers proved in each one of these cases.
As mentioned, the most recent was caused by a system failure and a control center’s failure. In another, it was a broken rail. In the other, a retaining wall had collapsed in a storm.
In other words, Spain’s rail network has real problems, and they deserve a real investigation. But none of them have anything to do with Jews or Israel.
How these conspiracy theories work
The tactics behind this rumor show up in almost every conspiracy theory. It is helpful to learn about them, as they show the mechanics of why people fall for them and how they spread.
Ask a leading question to AI
The question asks about “any connection,” not about the crash. One account told Grok to “Start with YES NO,” forcing a one-word verdict. In all cases, the part where Grok goes on to explain that there is no evidence connecting these companies to the crash gets cropped out.
(This is also a great example of how the supposed objectivity of AI can be weaponized to “prove” falsehoods)
Example of a leading question to AI
Any connection counts as proof
Once you’ve got that “yes” screenshot, all you need is any connection to feel your point is proven. But a connection is not a proof. German and French companies were directly linked to the failure, and yet no one is accusing them of a conspiracy. In fact, it is not so hard to find connection to many countries in similar disasters. But when you start from a preconceived conclusion, that connection seems like an irrefutable truth as opposed to just how many connections exist between many other countries.
These “connections” are the stuff most conspiracy theories are made of: the connection is the entire proof given, no matter how empty it is. This is why so many conspiracy theorists use the phrase “connecting the dots.” These connections become their evidence, and any other evidence provided that proves them wrong is dismissed as part of the conspiracy.
Build a timeline
This is another form of the “connection” conspiracy theory. Line up things in a timeline, and you can make most things seem causal, even if they are not.
One viral post lines up an Israeli official’s 2024 statement, the 2025 blackout, January’s crash, and this week’s collision. None of that, of course, is proof. It’s just… a timeline of events.
Example of a “timeline” post
Text version of this post
- 27 May 2024 — Israeli FM Israel Katz warns Spain: “Those who harm us, we will harm in return,” adding that “the days of the Inquisition are over”
- 28 May 2024 — Spain formally recognizes Palestine
- 7 Mar 2025 — Major Rodalies network disruption in Catalonia; ~900 passengers evacuated
- 28 Apr 2025 — Nationwide blackout (at least 6 dead)
- 11 Sep 2025 — Netanyahu accuses Sánchez of making a “blatant genocidal threat” against Israel
- 18 Jan 2026 — Adamuz rail crisis (46 dead)
- 20 Jan 2026 — Gelida R4 Rodalies train crash (1 death, 37 injured)
- 11 Mar 2026 — Spain–Israel diplomatic crisis over the war with Iran
- 10 Apr 2026 — Netanyahu accuses Spain of waging a “diplomatic war” against Israel and warns it will face an “immediate price”
- 30 Jul 2026 — Ceuta crisis (100+ dead)
- 5 Oct 2026 — General election called
- 28 Oct 2026 — Train collision in Urda, Toledo (at least 68 dead)
Dress it up as research
Conspiracy theorists require some legitimacy to their claims, so they will frame their work as having “sources” like Reuters, the New York Times, a fact-check from Spain’s EFE news agency. None of them support the claim, and yet they are used as proofs that they do. This is the same move as the reliance on AI.
New facts get folded in too. The minister calling the order “inexplicable” becomes proof of a cover-up. A Community Note correcting a post becomes proof someone is hiding the truth.
Example of “sources” used as proof
Text version of this slide
- AFP / BSS — Spain rail incident came after train ordered to go in error: minister (Oct 28, 2026)
- The New York Times — At least 68 fatalities in train collision in Spain, officials say (Oct 28, 2026)
- Reuters — How a high-speed train collision unfolded in central Spain (Oct 28, 2026)
- The Times of Israel — After kicking Spain out of Gaza ceasefire center, Netanyahu promises that countries opposing Israel will pay ‘immediate price’ (Apr 10, 2026)
- TechTime — Cervello to secure the Purple Line of the light rail (Dec 4, 2023)
- EFE Verifica — The passing of Agustín Escobar in a helicopter accident is not related to an alleged “boycott” of Israel (Apr 16, 2025)
Why this is antisemitic
The reason this goes from a conspiracy theory about Israel to an antisemitic conspiracy is twofold:
- As mentioned, there are plenty of other countries connected to these accidents. In addition, Spain is in fact directly targeted and threatened by actual terrorist groups. In 2004 a terrorist group bombed Madrid’s train system was attacked by Al Qaeda. Yet none of the conspiracy theorists are asking whether France, Germany, or even any terrorist groups caused these crashes. There is a reason Israel is singled out, and it goes beyond any legitimate criticism of the country.
- The theory also requires Israel to be a hidden power that can reach inside another country and kill dozens of people without leaving a trace. One post spelled it out: Israel “has its hands on all sensitive facilities in the whole Western world.” This is an antisemitic trope, and one that is very often applied specifically to Israel and/or explicitly to Jews.
Example of the “hidden power” trope
It should not be surprising that in all these posts, there are comments calling out Jews in addition to Israel.
Obsessing over Israel by trying to connect it to all bad news is different than legitimate callouts and criticism. And the irony of it is that these conspiracy theories then distract from an actual solution. If Spain’s rail system has experienced so many failures, that deserves a proper investigation, not a bunch of claims based on nothing.
This is a good example of how antisemitism hurts even the people it claims to care about. It focuses on an imaginary enemy instead of real problems. And it, ironically, makes it even harder for legitimate criticism of Israel to be heard.
