FRA survey reveals high levels of antisemitism persist in Europe

02/08/2024

On July 11, 2024, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published its third survey on Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of antisemitism. Conducted from January to June 2023, the survey engaged almost 8,000 Jews aged 16 or over from 13 EU countries. Predating the events of October 7, the survey underscores the persistence of antisemitism in Europe and demonstrates the negative effects it has on the well-being of Jewish individuals and communities as well as broader efforts towards social cohesion. The FRA surveys are particularly important as they offer comprehensive data from the perspective of those most impacted and allow for comparisons over time. The data also provides policymakers with crucial insights to help them develop and implement effective, targeted interventions.

76% of respondents hide their Jewish identity out of fear of attacks

Offline, around half of the respondents encountered antisemitism in social interactions with friends/ colleagues/ acquaintances (56%). The percentage of respondents who experienced antisemitic harassment has risen in comparison to the previous 2018 survey: 37% reported encountering verbal abuse and harassment in the 12 months prior to the survey, and 4% suffered physical attacks, compared to 2% in 2018. More than half of these incidents occurred in public – on the street or in a shop.

Behind these figures are individuals and families who fear for themselves and their loved ones. The survey shows that 76% of respondents feel forced to hide their Jewish identity, or avoid visiting Jewish sites (34%) fearing attacks and harassment.

90% of respondents encountered antisemitism online

Jewish people frequently encounter antisemitic content online, especially on social media platforms. In the 12 months before the survey, a staggering 90% of respondents reported experiencing this kind of antisemitism online.

According to the FRA survey, around a quarter of respondents now avoid posting content online that would identify them as Jewish (24%), and a similar share are worried about their physical safety (24%).

The FRA survey reveals the profound psychological toll of online antisemitic content. Over half of the respondents (57%) report feeling angry after encountering such content, while 15% said it negatively impacts their mental health. Additionally, nearly 1 in 10 (9%) experiences stress, headaches, or trouble sleeping due to online antisemitism.

Respondents feel that reporting does not bring any change

Reporting rates are higher for antisemitic physical violence (49%), than for online antisemitism (26%), antisemitic harassment (28%) and antisemitic discrimination (11%).

Listening to the perspectives of Jewish people is essential to understand the reasons that discourage victims from reporting and to adapt reporting structures to the victim’s needs. The main reason respondents do not report antisemitic incidents is that they feel that nothing would happen or change as a result.

To build trust with Jewish individuals, law enforcement need to establish and strengthen connections with representatives of Jewish communities. To facilitate the reporting of antisemitic incidents, member states are expected to improve existing reporting structures, create new ones, or rely on third-party or anonymous reporting, which has proved successful. FRA recommends that member states put measures in place to strengthen the capacity and ability of judicial authorities and law enforcement to detect and prosecute illegal online antisemitic content.

Understanding the data from the victim’s perspective

Antisemitic incidents often force Jewish individuals to alter their daily activities, avoid certain places, or conceal their identity. Fear of antisemitism can prevent individuals from participating in community events, religious practices, and cultural activities, leading to a loss of cultural diversity and community cohesion. This limitation on personal freedom and expression and participation in society is a significant consequence on society at large that policymakers must address. To tackle antisemitism effectively, it is relevant to include a victim-centred perspective and listen to the victims’ voices without delegitimising them and their experiences.

The importance of victimisation surveys to support policy-makers

Victimisation surveys, such as those conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), are crucial tools for policymakers and criminal justice professionals to capture the intricacies of the impact of discrimination on victims, their relatives and friends, and the wider communities. Data from victimisation surveys can provide a way to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of existing policies, allocate resources efficiently and to ensure a coordinated response among various stakeholders in a response system. This collaborative approach is crucial to ensure effective victim support, protection and justice.

Tackling antisemitism through multi-stakeholder cooperation, systemic approaches and training

“With the Facing Facts Network, we bring together public authorities and civil society organisations across Europe and aim to implement data sharing and victim referral systems between all actors in the response system. With better connections among stakeholders, we have better responses for victims of hate crime and hate speech”, explains Melissa Sonnino, Facing Facts Network Director.

Multi-stakeholder cooperation and comprehensive training for various actors on all forms of discrimination, racism and biases is crucial. Ensuring that staff and content moderators from regulated entities (social media platforms) are trained by civil society organisations is one of the recommendations of the Facing Facts DSA Policy Brief.

“With the Digital Services Act (DSA), we have an important European legislation that fosters collaboration between different actors and which holds social media platforms for their content moderation policies and to their [respecting] national legislation accountable”, explains Project Officer Daniel Heller.

In the DSA Policy Brief, Facing Facts reflects on the impact of this legislation on hate speech monitoring from the perspective of civil society organisations. To learn more on the findings, take a deep dive and join the Facing Facts Webinar on 3 September with representatives of the European Commission, civil society organisations, and public authorities. Register here.

Find out more about the manifestations of antisemitism by completing the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) Definition Activity of the EU-Funded NOA (Networks Overcoming Antisemitism) project coordinated by CEJI.

Contact facingfacts@ceji.org and subscribe to Facing Facts Newsletter to follow news on policy, training and research updates on hate crime and hate speech!