The conflict in the Middle East has caused a record rise in anti-Semitism in Europe since the creation of the European Union, according to a report by the European Commission.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
In cities such as Berlin, Paris and Brussels, Jewish institutions are guarded 24 hours a day by armed police, and local authorities warn Jews about the risks of publicly expressing their identity. In France, the number of anti-Semitic incidents increased from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, and the number of physical attacks almost doubled from 43 to 85, according to the report.
The UK has seen a sharp rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents, from 1,662 to 4,103, while the number of physical assaults has increased from 136 to 266. Experts believe that only a small proportion of these incidents are actually reported to the authorities. authorities.
Hungary and Poland, home to approximately 45,000 and 17,000 Jews respectively, each recorded one incident of violence. Experts attribute the differences to demographic makeup: While Western Europe has large Muslim communities that support the Palestinian struggle, countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic have restricted Muslim immigration by closing their borders.
An official EU survey conducted in 2023 is known to have shown that 50% of victims of anti-Semitic attacks said their attackers held radical Islamic views. At the same time, in Budapest and Prague you can hear Hebrew on the streets and Orthodox Jews live peacefully, facing no threats.
Previously, Cursor wrote that phrases such as “Jews are murderers” and “Israel is an aggressor” began appearing in school textbooks in Ireland, leading many Jewish children to be forced to transfer to other educational institutions.
