Antisemitism online far outweighs official records

“Antisemitism remains a serious problem in our societies. The Coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine further fuelled such hate,” says FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. “Without proper data we cannot hope to be effective in countering longstanding antisemitic incidents. It is high time that EU countries step up their efforts to encourage reporting and improve recording, so we can better tackle hatred and prejudice against Jews.”

FRA’s latest annual overview highlights:

Data gaps remain – most EU countries do not effectively record antisemitic incidents or collect comprehensive official data. Some countries (Hungary and Portugal) do not collect official data at all. This hinders comparisons between countries.

Antisemitism online – disinformation and antisemitism online rose in the wake of the pandemic and invasion of Ukraine. In some countries (Austria, Finland), most recorded incidents took place online.

National strategies – only 14 EU countries have dedicated national strategies or action plans to tackle antisemitism. Eight countries are currently developing such strategies and plans.

IHRA definition – an increasing number of countries are using the working definition of antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in education, training and awareness raising.

FRA’s overview looks at data from international, governmental and non-governmental sources across all EU countries, as well as Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. It compiles data from 1 January 2011 until 31 December 2021.

FRA continues to work on antisemitism. In 2023, the Agency will carry out its third survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jews. Furthermore, it will publish the findings of its project on online harassment, hate speech and incitement to violence against women and ethnic minorities. This includes antisemitic online content.