Given the escalation of the deadly conflict between Israel and the extremist group Hamas, choosing a side without taking into account all the nuances of the situation, in addition to fueling a discourse against Jews or Muslims, seems to be the “new normal” of global society.
To understand the rise in cases of antiSemitism and Islamophobia around the globe, the Metropolises interviewed experts on the subject who believe that the main factors fueling this mindset are ignorance, lack of knowledge, strangeness and fear.
In October this year alone, Brazil registered 467 reports of antiSemitism, compared to 44 reports compared to the same period last year a total increase of 961.36%. The data comes from a survey conducted by the Community Security Department of the Brazilian Israeli Confederation (Conib) and the Israeli Federation of the State of São Paulo (Fisesp).
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Comparing the period from January to October last year with the same period in 2023, there was a 133.6% increase in reports of antiSemitism, according to the study.
However, this expansion is not limited to the consequences of the humanitarian conflict in the Middle East. The research also shows an increase of 24.17% in the prewar period, with January to September 2022 (331 complaints) and January to September 2023 (411 complaints).
The President of Conib, Claudio Lottenberg, emphasizes that “behind these numbers” there are people and stories. According to him, children are bullied at school, people are insulted, threatened (in person and online) and even embarrassed by neighbors.
The origins of antiSemitism and Islamophobia
Before we approach the topic today, it is necessary to take a look at history. Although antiSemitism seems like something from the 20th century with the spread of Nazi ideas, historically it is not considered new.
According to Alberto do Amaral Jr., professor of international law and human rights at the University of São Paulo School of Law (FDUSP), this antipathy towards Jews can be traced back almost two thousand years, to the beginning of Christianity.
“After the war against Hamas began, antiSemitism increased in a way that had not existed before. “Especially because antiSemitism is something the European extreme right and parts of Islam have in common,” reports Amaral.
1/13Fire and smoke over Gaza after Israel Defense Forces attacks ▲Children are in a building destroyed in Israeli airstrikes ▲The Gaza Strip, a besieged Palestinian territory, is being heavily bombed by Israel in response to the largescale attack in October 7 of of Hamas in Israel ▲Muslims barred from the AlAqsa Mosque hold Friday prayers in the Ra’s alAmud neighborhood as Israeli forces take security measures in Jerusalem. ▲Palestinians view a building that was heavily damaged in a rocket attack after Israeli forces invaded the town of Abu Dis in Jerusalem. ▲ Palestinians in Gaza, subjected to intense Israeli bombardment, migrate to the southern and central parts. ▲ Palestinian migration occurs due to Israeli bombings and attacks on the northern Gaza Strip Gaza Strip as Israeli attacks continue ▲A body is brought to the Nassr Hospital morgue as Israeli attacks continue into the 28th day in Khan Yunis, Gaza ▲ 12345678910111213
For translation and biblical scholar Maria Antonia, translations of holy books, especially the Bible, have caused “very great damage” to society’s perception of the history of peoples and ethnic groups.
“People should be better informed about the teachings of each religion. This generalization is the cause of the problems we see today. Here in Brazil the constitution [Federal] guarantees this freedom of belief and belief,” he says.
She defends the idea that “understanding” and “respect” will be responsible for avoiding future humanitarian tragedies. The colonel notes that there is a “false” assumption that people who study religion and related topics “know everything”: “Most of them don’t even know Hebrew, Greek or even Latin.”
Israel
Andrey Albuquerque Mendonça, Professor of Ethics at ESPM, draws a parallel between antiSemitism before the creation of the State of Israel, the most critical moment during the Nazi regime and the escalation with geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“This antiSemitism, which existed before, is more identified with the idea that the existence of the State of Israel without the Palestinian State makes Israel a ‘puppet of the United States.’ This brings with it a number of geopolitical problems,” says he.
Mendonça emphasizes that the result of this conflict is not religious. The war between Israel and Hamas is “much older, it is a historical issue that affects the Palestinian population and the Israeli population at the same time.”
“So this feeling of hatred on both sides is entirely based on a lack of knowledge of history. Be it the Palestinian people or the Israeli people,” continues the ESPM professor.
There is a consensus among experts that ignorance, ignorance, alienation and fear are the greatest challenges in combating both antiSemitic and Islamophobic issues.
Mendonça affirms that there are fundamentalists and extremists “on all sides” where, in his opinion, “the root of the problem” lies in antipathy towards Muslims and Jews. “Today there are people who are unable to sit down to talk. This spirit of hate and perception of others as enemies is a problem we continue to face,” he says.
According to the ESPM ethics professor, it is important to resume the practice of debates and dialogue between the parties in order to break “the bubbles” that have been reinforced by social networks.
Rise in Islamophobia with 9/11
Even though Islamophobia is “rooted in history,” it grew after the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Such historical roots prove that “Islam could harm Western civilization,” said the USP professor.
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This idea of hatred against followers of Islam is also associated with the “war on terror.” “People who commit suicide or are terrorists end up being associated with the Islamic religion, which is completely wrong,” emphasizes Mendonça, professor at ESPM.
PF operation against Hezbollah terrorists
Last Wednesday (November 8th), the Federal Police (PF) launched Operation Trapiche against Hezbollahaffiliated terrorists who were planning attacks on buildings belonging to the country’s Jewish community in Brazil.
As part of the operation, two people were temporarily arrested in São Paulo and PF agents executed 11 search and seizure warrants. Recruiters and recruits must answer for the offenses of forming or joining a terrorist organization and carrying out preparatory terrorist acts, the maximum combined penalty of which is 15 years and 6 months in prison.
1/4 Hezbollah supporters ▲Shiite militias hold the Hezbollah flag after Iraqi forces entered the northern town of Amirli, which has been under siege by Islamic State militants for more than two months, in Saladin, Iraq, on August 31, 2014. ▲The head of a Hezbollah unit helps a Hezbollah supporter while holding his beret ▲1234
For Mendonça, this case shows how problems related to antiSemitism and Islamophobia are becoming increasingly globalized: “They are not located only where the conflict is taking place, that is, they transcend any geographical barrier.”
“In fact, there can be people anywhere, this applies to any religion, who end up accepting this fundamentalist and often extremist message and may be associated with these terrorist groups.” These people do not necessarily have to be immigrants. Most are coopted by groups on the internet,” he explained.
“Just as the internet enables a lot of good things, it also facilitates the actions of these fundamentalist and extremist groups, of hate speech, of these fundamentalist and extremist groups that can recruit people anywhere in the world.”
Organizations condemn attacks on Jews
On social media, United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral António Guterres expressed concern about “the rise in antiSemitism and antiMuslim intolerance.”
Guterres said it was necessary to put an end to “hateful rhetoric” and “provocative actions” and “find a way to preserve our common humanity.”
On October 6, several organizations, leaders and international organizations signed a joint declaration to combat antiSemitism.