Antisemitic incidents in Europe rise as Gaza war rages, survey shows

The Israeli war in Gaza has contributed to a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in Europe, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in a report released on Thursday.

An FRA survey conducted between January and June 2023 showed antisemitism was already high in Europe before the war began in October, and information collected from 12 Jewish community organisations since then showed a further rise, the report said.

"Jewish people have experienced more antisemitic incidents since October 2023, with some organisations reporting an increase of more than 400 percent," it said.

Three out of four Jewish respondents said they felt people hold them responsible for the Israeli government's actions and 80 percent felt antisemitism had grown in the European country where they live in the five years before the survey, it showed.

In the year before the survey was conducted, 90 percent of respondents had encountered antisemitism on the internet, with more than half experiencing it offline from people they know or in the media.

More than one-third were harassed during the same period because of their origin, most of them multiple times.

"Antisemitic harassment and violence mostly take place in streets, parks, or shops," the FRA said.

The survey said more than three-quarters of respondents hide their Jewish identity at least occasionally, and more than one-third avoid Jewish events or sites because of safety concerns.

Reporting by Reuters