The numbers speak for themselves. Jews are “more anxious than ever in Europe” about the “rising tide of anti-Semitism” and the Middle East conflict is undermining EU efforts, according to A large European survey published this Thursday, July 11.
According to this report from the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) based in Vienna, Austria, “96% of them” were confronted with it “online” or in their daily lives in the 12 months preceding the survey. An overwhelming majority consider that “the situation has worsened in recent years”, writes in the preamble its president Sirpa Rautio, even though they were questioned “before the Hamas attacks in October 2023 and the war in Gaza”.
A “spectacular increase”
In this tense context, 76% of Jews said they “occasionally hide their identity” in Europe, she laments. This is particularly the case in France, where 83% do so. Since the escalation between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, the picture has become even darker, according to information collected “more recently from twelve Jewish community organizations.”
“The fallout from the conflict is eroding hard-won progress” and observed after the adoption of the first ever European strategy to combat anti-Semitism in 2021, with a “dramatic increase” in incidents. In France, 74% of Jews believe that the conflict has an impact on their feeling of insecurity, the highest rate among the countries surveyed, where 62% of them feel this way on average, compared to only 9% in Hungary.
The EU agency FRA conducted an online questionnaire between January and June 2023 to nearly 8,000 Jews aged 16 and over living in 13 states that are home to 96% of the EU’s Jewish population. It is the third survey on the subject, after those conducted in 2013 and 2018. According to its findings, the “negative stereotype” accusing Jews of “holding power, controlling finance and the media” is the most frequently used, followed by “denial of Israel’s right to exist as a state”.
In 4% of cases, respondents reported having experienced anti-Semitic physical attacks, up from 2% in 2018. And 60% of them believe that their government’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism are not strong enough. To the detriment of their activities, Jewish organizations are under increasing financial burden to ensure their security, which they often have to manage themselves.