A year in European antisemitism: What are the online and physical trends?

A new report by the Diaspora Ministry outlines the countries most affected by increasing antisemitism, and explores who drives this rise.

By MATHILDA HELLER NOVEMBER 11, 2024 13:31 Updated: NOVEMBER 11, 2024 13:33

GeographicDistribution of ReportedAntisemitic Incidents in Europe since October 7, 2023 (photo credit: Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry)

"Europe is sitting on an explosive barrel and it must wake up before it's too late," Diaspora and Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said, following the release of his ministry's new report into European antisemitism in the year following the October 7 massacre.

The report, Chikli said, is extremely pertinent given "the horrifying violence against Jews which again broke out on European soil," referring to the Amsterdam attacks on Israelis on Thursday.

The dossier, which is mainly based on open-source intelligence, presents the trends of European antisemitism, and was commissioned by the National Command for Combating Antisemitism in the Diaspora Ministry.

For context, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (EUFRA) recorded an increase of up to 400% in antisemitic activity since the outbreak of the war. EUFRA also found that 96% of Jews encounter antisemitism in their daily lives.

Physical incidents

While the crescendo in antisemitism seen in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre has lowered, it has not yet decreased to pre-war levels.

The countries that have faced the most significant worsening in antisemitism are Great Britain, France, and Germany - which all have large Jewish communities. This is true for both online and in physical spaces.

Number of antisemitic posts in European countries per capita (credit: Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry)

Over the last year, France has had five serious antisemitic incidents - the highest of all European countries - followed by Germany and the UK with two, and Switzerland with one.

The report does emphasize that, despite the frequency and severity of these attacks, no fatalities have been reported in connection with antisemitic violence in Europe since October 7.

Online content

Online, peaks in antisemitism coincided with key events in the Israel-Gaza war, such as the explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital, the operation to rescue hostages, the Iran Drone attack on Israel, and the Tel Al-Sultan attack. 

In terms of the drivers of antisemitism, the main engines are pro-Palestinian supporters, including politicians, groups, and influencers.

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Of these, 50% come from the UK, followed by France with 20%.

Generators of antisemitism include figures such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon (the highest), Jeremy Corbyn, Palestine Action, and George Gallaway. 

Influencers who spread antisemitism include Andrew Tate, Anastasia Maria Loupis, Roger Waters, and others.

The report also outlines newly formed antisemitic groups which were founded in the aftermath of October 7. These include The Base, Núcleo Nacional, Student Federation for a Liberated Palestine, and Palestine Action's branches in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Regarding online content, the UK has the highest number of antisemitic posts, at around 2.5 million, followed by Spain at 1.3 million and France at 1.15 million.

Translated to per capita (for scale), Ireland is the worst offender for online antisemitism.

Graph showing the risk of antisemitism per country (credit: Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry)

The report also considers the number of posts compared to the Jewish population to determine the risk level for each country.

The UK and France are considered Very High Risk for both physical and online risk.