Spain’s leading newspaper, El País, came under fire Tuesday for publishing an antisemitic comment about the Jewish background of the judge overseeing the case against deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In a since-edited story, the left-leaning newspaper reported on Monday that federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein is a highly regarded jurist “despite being a recognized member of the Jewish community.” 

Hellerstein is a 92-year-old Orthodox judge with 27 years on the federal bench in Manhattan, including presiding over high-profile trials such as lawsuits brought in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a suit against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. 

“Hellerstein, who studied law at Columbia University (New York), began his career as a clerk in the court he now presides over. Throughout his career, he has issued well-reasoned rulings and strived to maintain impartiality, despite being a prominent member of the Jewish community,” the article stated in Spanish. The end of the last sentence was removed on Tuesday. 

Before it was edited, the story was reproduced by the Uruguayan El País, which also removed the line on Tuesday evening, following an inquiry from Jewish Insider. El País in Spain did not respond to multiple requests for comment from JI. (The two papers share no business connection other than syndication.) 

The European Jewish Congress condemned El País, writing that “Jewish identity is not a conflict of interest. Such language reinforces bias and has real consequences for how Jews are perceived in public life. Media have a responsibility to avoid words that legitimize prejudice and to correct them when they do.”