A special report by the World Zionist Organization published on Monday marking Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day shows there was a 6.3-fold increase in antisemitic incidents in the first four months of this year compared to January-April 2021. November 2023 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents documented since 1985, followed by April 2024.
The term antisemitic incidents refers to events against Diaspora Jews, against the term Zionism, denial of Israel's right to exist as a sovereign state, Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) events, anti-Israel activities abroad, and Holocaust denial.
According to data from the World Zionist Organization, over 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been documented worldwide since the start of the war in Gaza. Some 67.7% of these incidents are demonstrations and protests, 9.6% are verbal abuse, 8.3% are BDS activities, 7.2% are physical violence, and 7.2% are vandalism. In addition, the number of calls for boycotts of Israel has increased by a factor of 10.6 since the start of the war.
The report also points to a surge by hundreds of percentage points in antisemitic incidents in many Western countries since October 7. According to the report, there has been a 360% increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States, a higher figure in Canada with 733%, and 433% in Australia.
Sweden also saw a very sharp increase of 800% in reported antisemitic incidents since Hamas' terror attack; in Spain, there was a 680% increase; in the Netherlands, 450%; in the UK, 442%; in France, 433%; and in Germany, 207%.
In fact, dozens of antisemitic incidents take place across the world every day. Unfortunately, according to the World Zionist Organization, most of these incidents go unreported, and research shows that only about 30% of antisemitic incidents are reported to law enforcement authorities in various countries.
According to data from the World Zionist Organization, since October 7, six Jews have been murdered outside Israel's borders as a result of antisemitic attacks - among them Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll, who was murdered in November 2023. The report adds that none of the killers in any of these cases have been prosecuted for hate crimes.
"The current state of antisemitism today, during the 2024 Holocaust Remembrance Day, is worse than the 1930s - social media serve as a platform for spreading hatred like wildfire. Conspiracy theories emerge repeatedly blaming Jews for all the world's evil, with a finger pointing toward Israel," according to Dr. Raheli Baratz-Rix, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism at the World Zionist Organization.
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Pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University
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"The danger in these incidents, which occur in every corner of the globe, isn’t only pertaining to Jewish Diaspora but includes a degradation of every human concept and moral values. We mustn’t underestimate antisemitism because it can directly affect Israel’s security, economic and social aspects," she added.
World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel said the report shows how important it is to have the Jewish state of Israel. "When leaders fuel hatred, when countries sponsor terror, when academic circles worldwide support the hatred of Jews, it seems for a moment that the phrase 'Never Again' remains a mere slogan," he said. "In the 76th year of our independence, when our military, commanders and soldiers safeguard our security in a Jewish sovereign state that is the home of us all, we proudly wave our flag and declare - Never Again - is here and now! We won’t forget, and we won’t forgive."