ROME (JTA) — King Juan Carlos of Spain told European Jewish representatives that he has never understood how earlier Spanish monarchs could have expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492.

The king received leaders of the European Council of Jewish Communities at the Zarzuela Palace during the group's General Assembly, held in Madrid May 31 to June 3.

Juan Carlos said he welcomed the Jewish presence in Spain and also hoped for peace in the Middle East.

During their conference, the Jewish leaders issued a resolution that expressed "unbreakable solidarity" with Israel, deplored the "demonization" of Jews and Israel in the media and urged a peaceful solution for the current conflict with the Palestinians. The resolution also called on European governments to denounce Palestinian terrorism and to "state clearly that such actions violate European moral values."