Anti-Semitism swells in Europe amid Gaza war, says EU watchdog
Al Jazeera
A report by the EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights warns most Jews in Europe fear for their and their family’s safety.
Jews in Europe are facing rising anti-Semitism, partly spurred by conflict in the Middle East, a European Union rights watchdog has said.
Nearly all European Jews surveyed by the EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said they had experienced anti-Semitism in the year before the study was carried out between January and June 2023, with such incidents spiking since October 7, when Israel’s current war on Gaza erupted.
“The spillover effect of the conflict in the Middle East is eroding hard-fought-for progress” in combatting anti-Jewish hate, FRA director Sirpa Rautio said. The report was published on Thursday.
“Worrying about their safety and hiding their Jewish identity is still a reality for many Jewish people today.”
The FRA report surveyed nearly 8,000 Jews across 13 EU countries – Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden.
