Anti-Semitism in Europe continued to increase, according to the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). “The CoV pandemic and Russian aggression against Ukraine” “have further fueled anti-Semitism,” the director of the EU agency, Michael O’Flaherty, said today at the publication of the annual anti-Semitism report in Vienna. The FRA cites misinformation and “false narratives” that circulated mainly on the Internet as reasons.
For example, Moscow has tried to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine by using terms like “Nazi” and “genocide” to describe the government in Kyiv. Jewish communities across Europe have been “profoundly affected” by online hatred and misinformation surrounding the war in Ukraine, according to the report, which was produced in July. In some countries, including Austria and Finland, the majority of recorded anti-Semitic incidents took place online.
Critique of data collection
The FRA also criticized the continued under-reporting of anti-Semitic incidents across Europe. For example, no official data on anti-Semitic incidents were available in the two EU member states, Hungary and Portugal, which made it difficult to make a meaningful comparison of the situation within the EU.
In October 2021, the EU Commission presented for the first time a strategy to combat anti-Semitism. Brussels authorities want to better protect and promote Jewish life. A particular focus is on combating anti-Jewish hate speech on the Internet. Brussels is expected to provide implementation reports in 2024 and 2029, also based on FRA data on anti-Semitic incidents.
IKG reports 381 incidents in the first half of the year
According to the anti-Semitism reporting office of the Jewish Community (IKG) in Vienna, a total of 381 anti-Semitic incidents were reported in Austria in the first half of 2022.
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