Effigy of Israel ‘executed’ and set on fire in ‘disturbing’ ceremony at Andorra carnival - The Jewish Chronicle

Revellers at a carnival in Andora celebrated as an effigy bearing the Israeli flag complete with a Star of David on its face was put on “trial”, hung, burned and then shot, sparking condemnation from the microstate’s small Jewish community.

Each year, the annual festival traditionally centres on a symbolic “trial” and execution of a the fictitious Rei Carnestoltes (“Carnival King”), whose effigy is typically condemned and burned as part of the festivities leading up to Lent, the 40-day period preceding Easter.

But at Monday’s celebration in the Encamp district of the Pyrenean microstate, which is located between France and Spain, organisers replaced the customary figure with a blue and white effigy bearing the Israeli flag and a Star of David painted across its face, social media posts show.

The figure was tried and sentenced to death, before being strung, shot and set ablaze in front of local officials and cheering festivalgoers, according to witnesses who spoke to the Israeli news site Ynet.

[Missing Credit]An effigy of the Israeli flag is hung, shot and burned during an annual carnival in Andorra in the lead up to Easter (Credit: X)

The incident has shocked Andorra’s small Jewish population, which comprises around 160 people. The general population of Andorra stands at about 90,000 with around two thirds identifying as Catholic.

“This is a ritual they perform every year as part of a carnival, where they mock many things,” Esther Pujol, a Jewish resident of Andorra, told Ynet. “This time, they dressed the effigy in the colours of the Israeli flag, with a Star of David on its face. They put it on trial, sentenced it to death and carried out the sentence by shooting and burning it. It is completely unacceptable.”

An effigy of the Israeli flag is hung, shot and burned during an annual carnival in Andorra in the lead up to Easter (Credit: X)[Missing Credit]

Members of the Jewish community have reported the incident to the head of Andorra’s parliament, and other lawmakers. It is believed that some local politicians were present for the stunt.

The incident has drawn criticism from beyond Andorra, with the European Jewish Congress describing the mock execution as a “deeply disturbing act that risks normalising antisemitism and incitement.”

It continued in a statement: “This incitement requires unequivocal condemnation, full clarification of responsibilities and concrete measures to ensure that antisemitism is never tolerated in public celebrations or institutions in Andorra or anywhere in Europe.”

I’m honestly shocked.

Andorra 🇦🇩 a country I once visited and experienced as peaceful and completely detached from violent extremism, just had a public “execution” of a doll representing the State of Israel.

A figure dressed in the colors of the Israeli flag, with a Star of… pic.twitter.com/3TtQXp9gmE
— Giulia (@samurai_611) February 16, 2026

Last September Andorra formally announced its recognition of a Palestinian state alongside a host of other European nations, including the UK.

Nestled in the Pyrenees mountains, the anti-Israel protests that erupted in October 2023 have been largely absent from Andorra, unlike in neighbouring France and Spain.

In 2023, the country’s parliament elected a Jewish lawmaker for the first time, and around the same time is said to have received its first Chabad emissary.

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Topics:

Israel

Easter