The Spanish government granted Spanish citizenship to 200 Jews around the world, including Jerusalem’s Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.

The move follows the granting of Spanish citizenship to an initial group of 4,300 Jews at the beginning of the year.

Last year, Spain adopted a law permitting Jews of Sephardi heritage to apply for Spanish citizenship.

Hundreds of Israelis are waiting for consideration of applications that they have filed for Spanish citizenship over the past year through regular channels. The procedure requires that they pass a test of their knowledge of Spanish and of general knowledge about Spain in addition to submitting proof of Spanish family lineage.

Rabbi Shlomo Amar's office says he did not specifically request the citizenship and that the honorary citizenship was conferred in recognition of his work on behalf of the descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

Amar was born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1948 and moved to Israel in 1962. In 2002, he served as chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, a year before becoming Israel's Sephardi chief rabbi. He has been Sephardi chief rabbi of Jerusalem since 2014.