You can argue that a country expelling Jews and thus allowing religious persecution is less likely to be liberal, generally benevolent and accepting of science and debate.
I'm looking for a source, not a rationalization or argument.
What is really bothering me is I heard a historian say Spain's Golden Era
began in 1492, which if this is true and there's a clear source about it would be interesting to reconcile.
I believe Rabbi Sacks mentioned a similar idea, pretty sure I didn't originally hear it from him, and still curious if there's another/earlier mekor for it.