High levels of Jew-hatred prior to Oct. 7, EU survey suggests

A whopping 96% of respondents to a new survey on Jew-hatred said that it experienced antisemitism in the year prior to the study, which was conducted between January and June 2023.

The overwhelming majority of that 96%—representing 90% of the respondents to the survey question—encountered that Jew-hatred online, per the survey which the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency published on Thursday.

More than 8,000 Jews older than 16 from 13 E.U. countries, including Germany and France, were interviewed in the survey, which probed antisemitism prior to Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack.

The report also collected data post-Oct. 7 from 12 umbrella Jewish organizations, some of which reported increases of 400% or more in antisemitic incidents after October.

“Europe is witnessing a wave of antisemitism, partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East,” stated Sirpa Rautio, director of the Fundamental Rights Agency. “We need to build on existing laws and strategies to protect communities from all forms of hate and intolerance, online as well as offline.”

“In an increasingly polarized society, we urgently need to spread the message of tolerance and ensure respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all,” Rautio added.