Anti-Semitism is "deeply rooted in European society" and poses an existential threat to the continent's Jewish community and the core goals of the European Union, an EU official has warned.
Michael O'Flaherty, director of the EU agency for fundamental rights, said that it is worrying that only a third of the general population considers anti-Semitism to be a big problem when there is no doubt that "dramatic moments in our societies activate anti-Semitic reactions".
"It happened with covid, it's happening with Russian aggression (in Ukraine) and it's happening again now. The media and civil society organizations warn of the rise of anti-Semitism as the crisis unfolds in the Middle East.
"I honestly think that with every big negative topic in our society, anti-Semitic forces are also moving. It is an indication of the scale... anti-Semitism is a deep-rooted racism in European society”.
O Flaherty added that "it is also very important at this moment to be aware of and condemn all forms of hatred that are manifested in Europe, including hatred against Muslims."
The war that followed the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel led to a large increase in anti-Semitic incidents. The high number of civilian casualties caused by Israel's response further heightened tensions.
Recent data collected by the American Anti-Defamation League (ADL) showed a 300 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Austria. In the UK, London police said 218 anti-Semitic hate crimes were reported between October 1 and 18, a 13-fold increase over the same period last year.
In Germany, the anti-Semitism monitoring organization RIAS reported a 240% increase in anti-Semitic incidents since October 7, the "Guardian" points out.
Many experts on hate crimes point to deep-rooted negative ideas about Jews that, although constantly present, surface in times of social stress.
A recent ADL survey found that anti-Semitic stereotypes remain entrenched in 10 European countries, with about a quarter of people holding historically known anti-Semitic beliefs, particularly false beliefs about Jews and money, and Jews controlling the government.
The ADL found that, among the six Western European countries surveyed, Spain remains the country with the highest level of anti-Semitic attitudes, with 26% of the population holding strong anti-Semitic beliefs, followed by Belgium (24%), France (17%), Germany (12%) and Great Britain (10%). In the Netherlands, only 6% of respondents share anti-Semitic views.
In Eastern Europe, anti-Semitic attitudes are more widespread, although they are becoming rarer. The ADL found high levels of anti-Semitic attitudes in Hungary (37%) and Poland (35%).
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