Dismantled: Ken Roth’s Latest Israel Conspiracy Theory on Ceuta

In the midst of a massive migrant surge into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, former Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth floated a conspiravy theory pointing the finger at Israel. Roth suggested Israel prefers “its ally Morocco” control Ceuta rather than Spain, arguing that Spanish control of both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar could allow it to block Israeli shipping to the Atlantic, and drawing a strained parallel to Iran’s position at the Strait of Hormuz.
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, delivered a pointed rebuttal, noting that the New York Times article cited by Roth contains zero references to Israel, any Israeli interest in Ceuta or Melilla, the Strait of Gibraltar in connection with Israeli shipping, or any theory that Israel seeks Moroccan control of the enclave.
Neuer highlighted basic factual errors in Roth’s framing: British Gibraltar, not Spain, controls the northern choke point; NATO and EU members do not mine international waterways; and Spain has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel far longer than Morocco has, despite the current Spanish government’s hostility.
Neuer described the claim as “pure Israel Derangement Syndrome untethered from any evidence,” reminding readers of Human Rights Watch founder Robert Bernstein’s public break with the organization under Roth’s leadership over its treatment of Israel. He further criticized Princeton and Yale for continuing to platform such conspiracy theorizing.
Read Neuer’s full response below.

.@KenRoth Nothing in the article you cited supports your bizarre theory. There is zero mention of Israel, any Israeli interest in Ceuta or Melilla, the Strait of Gibraltar in relation to Israeli shipping, or any theory that Israel wants Morocco to control the enclave.

What you don’t seem to realize:
• British Gibraltar controls the northern choke point, not Spain
• NATO and EU members, notwithstanding your apparent wish, don’t mine international waterways.
• The NYT article you linked not once mentions Israel; on the contrary, it cites Sanchez’s embrace of expansive immigration, the “pull factor” of the Spanish court ruling restricting return of migrants intercepted at sea, and the social media posts that amplified this to Morroccans.
• Sanchez is virulently hostile to Israel, but you wrongly conflate his current government with Spain itself, which has has had diplomatic relations with Israel long before Morroco, as well as some very pro-Israel leaders.

Even by your standards, Mr. Roth, this is a new low — pure Israel Derangement Syndrome untethered from any evidence.

It’s a reminder why Human Rights Watch founder and chair Robert Bernstein publicly broke with you, warning that the organization under your tenure effectively aided Hamas and Hezbollah.

That Princeton and Yale now platform you and this level of conspiracy theorizing is an embarrassment.

 

UN Watch
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