Study: High Levels of Anti-Semitism in Europe Precedes October 7

July 12, 2024

by: JNS

Friday, 12 July 2024 | A whopping 96% of respondents to a new survey on Jew-hatred said that it experienced anti-Semitism in the year prior to the study, which was conducted between January and June 2023.

The overwhelming majority of that 96%—representing 90% of the respondents to the survey question—encountered that Jew-hatred online, per the survey which the European Union’s [EU] Fundamental Rights Agency published on Thursday.

More than 8,000 Jews older than 16 from 13 EU countries, including Germany and France, were interviewed in the survey, which probed anti-Semitism prior to Hamas’s October 7 terror attack.

The report also collected data post-October 7 from 12 umbrella Jewish organizations, some of which reported increases of 400% or more in anti-Semitic incidents after October.

“Europe is witnessing a wave of anti-Semitism, partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East,” stated Sirpa Rautio, director of the Fundamental Rights Agency. “We need to build on existing laws and strategies to protect communities from all forms of hate and intolerance, online as well as offline.”

“In an increasingly polarized society, we urgently need to spread the message of tolerance and ensure respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all,” Rautio added.

Posted on July 12, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on July 11, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Matthieu Delaty/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images/jns.org