Handbook on Online Antisemitism

Antisemitic incidents are on the rise in a large number of EU Member States in the context of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the military response. Assaults, threats, and abusive behaviour have targeted Jews, threatening the safety and visibility of Jewish life in Europe. Against this backdrop, extremist groups of different ideological backgrounds are seizing the opportunity to further incite antisemitic hatred online and offline.

Antisemitism has been a constant phenomenon in all the Member States of the European Union for decades. The underlying resentment dates back to ancient times but constantly adapts to contemporary environments. While research shows that antisemitic attitudes are widespread in all classes and milieus, the concrete and continuous risk of physical harm comes, in particular, from the extreme fringes of political movements that scapegoat Jews for various ills of political and social constellations.