The 4,782 documented instances of Jew-hatred in Germany in 2023—2,787 of which happened after Oct. 7—represent an 80% increase over 2022, according to a report from the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism.
On average, about 33 antisemitic incidents occurred per day in Germany from Oct. 7 until the end of the year, compared to a little more than seven daily from Jan. 1 to Oct. 7, 2023, according to the new data, released on Tuesday by the Bundesverband RIAS, which is funded by the German state.
Two-thirds of the instances that involved “extreme violence, assaults and threats” also took place after Oct. 7, per the study.
“The antisemitic massacres and terrorist attacks in Israel motivate people in Germany to engage in antisemitic behavior,” said Bianca Loy, research associate at the Bundesverband RIAS and co-author of the study. “Many well-known antisemitic stereotypes have been updated and applied to the Hamas massacres, and the war in Israel and Gaza.”
Owing to this, she added, “violence against Jews has been justified, trivialized or denied.”
Loy called the situation, in which many have to hide their Jewish identities, “alarming and unacceptable.”
“The unprecedented rise in antisemitic incidents must be understood as a wake-up call,” stated Benjamin Steinitz, managing director of the Bundesverband RIAS. “The state has the responsibility to ensure that Jews can safely participate in civic life.”
