Antisemitism was amplified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Antisemitism was amplified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Disinformation and hatred of Jews have flowery on the internet since the start of the Russian invasion, aggravating a process already set in motion by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a European report published on Thursday, November 3.

The coronavirus outbreak and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have further fueled anti-Semitism, which remains a serious problem “Said Michael O’Flaherty, director of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

But what is the relationship between the war in Ukraine and the rise of anti-Semitic acts? The European Union (EU) looked into the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in June and according to this report published in Englishrisks of false narratives fuel anti-Semitism “, while Russia justified its war in ” misusing terms such as Nazi to qualify the government in Ukraine, according to the FRA.

Jewish communities across Europe ” have been “ deeply affected by online hatred in the context of the Russian invasion and the epidemic, he continues.

Lack of data

Furthermore, the body based in Vienna, Austria, judges that “ recording of antisemitic incidents remains poor across Europe », the collection varying in each country. Some, like Hungary and Portugal, do not collect any official statistics, which makes any comparison across the twenty-seven EU members impossible.

In some countries, such as Austria or Finland, most recorded incidents took place on the Internet.

Brussels presented in 2021 its first strategy to combat anti-Semitism and according to the FRA, the European Commission “ will publish implementation reports in 2024 and 2029 “.

(with AFP)

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