The number of anti-Semitic incidents following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel has increased significantly in Austria. The anti-Semitism reporting center of the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG) carried out a special analysis for the period October 7-19, which it extrapolated to show a 300 percent increase. Only incidents that could be verified in this short period of time were counted.
A total of 76 anti-Semitic incidents were reported in the first 13 days since the start of the war. One example given is the breaking of a window in a kosher grocery store by a young man who speaks Arabic.
According to the IKG broadcast, reports from schools are also increasing. Among other things, there were three cases in public schools in which Jewish children were bullied by classmates who glorified terror. Furthermore, there were hateful messages online and offline that relativized or even glorified the Shoah.
As frightening as this development may seem, the community is resisting it through its security work, cooperation with security authorities, but also by continuing daily life in Jewish schools, synagogues and other Jewish institutions, as well as planning more youth and cultural events, emphasized the head of the registry office, Benjamin Nägele.