Concerns have led to discussions about adopting a lower profile, such as covering skullcaps in public and possibly concealing mezuzahs, the traditional symbols on doorposts of Jewish homes.
Sitting in Geneva, Michel Dreifuss doesn’t sense much distance from the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of Gaza. The repercussions are reverberating through Europe, challenging both global and personal assumptions, particularly regarding his safety as a Jew.
“I recently purchased a tear-gas spray canister from a military equipment surplus store,” revealed the 64-year-old retired tech sector worker at a rally marking a month since the Hamas killings.
This choice, he explained, is a precautionary measure driven by a surge in antisemitism in Europe.
The recent slayings of approximately 1,200 people in Israel by armed Palestinian militants marked the most significant killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
The aftermath, coupled with Israel’s forceful military response that reportedly claimed at least 13,300 Palestinian lives in Hamas-controlled Gaza, has had repercussions in Europe.
This has rattled a continent with a long history of deadly anti-Jewish hatred, particularly in the context of the past century, which is notable for the atrocities of World War II.
The concern about the rise in antisemitism in Europe is fueled, in part, by the historical persecution of Jews before and during that war, making it particularly alarming for those only one or two generations removed from the victims of anti-Jewish violence and Nazi brutality.
What deeply unsettles many Jews in interviews is the perceived absence of empathy for the Israelis who lost their lives in the early morning massacre and for the families of the hostages—approximately 30 of whom are children—caught in a painful state of uncertainty.
Expressing his dismay, Holocaust survivor Herbert Traube spoke at a Paris event commemorating the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 government-backed pogroms against Jews in Germany and Austria. He remarked, “What really upsets me is witnessing the absence of a widespread public reaction against this.”
Acts of Antisemitism – Defining the Parameters
Antisemitism is broadly characterized as hatred directed towards Jews, but an ongoing debate has persisted for years regarding the classification of actions and words as antisemitic.
Critics argue that there has been a historical conflation of criticism of Israel’s policies with antisemitism, a perspective endorsed by Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and certain watchdog groups.
This blending, critics contend, undermines opposition to the policies of the country and fosters a perception that any expression against Israeli policy is inherently antisemitic.
Susan Neiman of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam, Germany, emphasizes the problematic nature of framing language around Israel and the Palestinians as if it were a sports match.
“We are perpetuating the idea that you’ve got to be on one side or the other instead of being on the side of human rights and justice,” she remarked.
On the other hand, some argue that antisemites often use criticism of Israel as a guise for expressing their anti-Jewish sentiments.
Since the October 7 attacks, governments and watchdog groups across Europe have extensively documented a lengthy list of examples of anti-Jewish sentiment.
- Just over a month following the attack in Israel, the French Interior Ministry disclosed a staggering 1,247 reported antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7, almost three times the total recorded for the entire year of 2022.
- Denmark’s primary Jewish association noted a 24-fold increase in cases compared to the average of the last nine months.
- The Community Security Trust, responsible for monitoring antisemitic incidents in Britain, documented over 1,000 such events, marking the highest number ever recorded within a 28-day period.
Despite widespread condemnations of anti-Jewish hatred and expressions of support for Israel from European leaders since the attack, instances of such hatred persist.
Reports indicate that some of Europe’s Jewish population encounters anti-Jewish sentiments in public spaces and through the media. Jewish schoolchildren, for example, face bullying on their way to class, and in some cases, they are compelled to explain Israel’s actions, as reported by Britain’s Community Security Trust.
Concerns have led to discussions about adopting a lower profile, such as covering skullcaps in public and possibly concealing mezuzahs, the traditional symbols on doorposts of Jewish homes.
In Russia, an airport riot unfolded with antisemitic chants and posters, targeting passengers arriving from Israel.
A Berlin synagogue faced a firebombing, and a Jewish woman in Lyon, France, was stabbed twice in the stomach at her home by an assailant, according to her lawyer.
Incidents in Prague’s Little Quarter involved staff at a well-known bar, Hippopotamus, refusing to serve beer to tourists from Israel and their Czech guides.
Some patrons even resorted to insults, requiring police intervention. In Berlin, the Jewish community is still grappling with the aftermath of an attempted firebombing on a synagogue last month.
Anna Segal, the 37-year-old manager of the Kahal Adass Jisroel in Berlin, a community with 450 members, expressed, “Some of us are in a state of panic.”
Navigating a Sense of Foreboding
According to Segal, some members of the community are altering their lifestyles. Students have abandoned uniforms, and kindergarten classes avoid venturing beyond the building for field trips or to the nearby playground.
Certain individuals refrain from calling taxis, and there’s hesitation in ordering home deliveries. The practice of speaking Hebrew in public is dwindling, and there’s contemplation about relocating to Israel.
“I hear more and more from people in the Jewish community who feel safer and more comfortable in Israel now than in Germany, despite the war and all the rockets,” Segal noted. “Because they don’t have to hide there.”
During pro-Palestinian demonstrations, some protesters are chanting, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” While some argue it signifies a call for Palestinian freedom and is not anti-Jewish but anti-Israel, others point out that the region from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea encompasses not only Israel but also the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where Palestinians have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967.
Many Jews, however, argue that the chant is inherently anti-Jewish and advocates for the destruction of Israel.
Peggy Hicks, a director at the U.N. human rights office, underscores that governments and political movements are legitimate subjects for criticism. However, she issues a caution against discrimination, a challenge the Geneva-based office has long grappled with. Amidst the recent tumultuous weeks, Hicks finds reasons for optimism.
“In my experience working in human rights, I’ve been amazed by the compassion and resilience of human beings,” Hicks remarked. “Individuals who, despite losing children, have come together on both sides of a conflict, sharing a common loss but from opposing perspectives. They have managed to transcend the expectation of being enemies.”
She further noted, “I acknowledge that not everyone possesses the ability to demonstrate such courage. Nevertheless, the existence of such resilience, I believe, provides us all with something to aspire to.”
