The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has revealed that over three-quarters of Jewish people on the continent hide their religious or cultural identity "at least occasionally." In a study conducted prior to the outbreak of war in Gaza, the group found a growing number of people are choosing to keep their Jewishness under wraps. Since then, the problem of antisemitism in Europe has only gotten worse.
A total of 7,992 respondents from Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden, which are home to 96 percent of Europe's Jews, were polled between January and June of 2023. Over half said they were worried for their or their families' safety simply because of their background.
According to the study, 37 percent said they had experienced verbal abuse and harassment, and 4 percent said they had been physically attacked. As a result, 76 percent admitted to at least sometimes choosing not to present openly as Jewish, with 33 and 41 percent saying that this was the case at work and school, respectively.
A full 34 percent said they avoided visiting Jewish events or sites, and 24 percent said they avoided posting online in ways that would "identify them as Jewish." Around 90 percent said they had experienced antisemitism online in the year prior to the survey, with 25 percent citing Facebook.
Those numbers were relatively unchanged from 2018, when the study was last conducted.
"Europe is witnessing a wave of antisemitism, partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East," FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said in a July 11 press release. "This severely limits Jewish people's ability to live in safety and with dignity. 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 polarised society, we urgently need to spread the message of tolerance and ensure respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all."
A total of 7,992 respondents from Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden, which are home to 96 percent of Europe's Jews, were polled between January and June of 2023. Over half said they were worried for their or their families' safety simply because of their background.
According to the study, 37 percent said they had experienced verbal abuse and harassment, and 4 percent said they had been physically attacked. As a result, 76 percent admitted to at least sometimes choosing not to present openly as Jewish, with 33 and 41 percent saying that this was the case at work and school, respectively.
A full 34 percent said they avoided visiting Jewish events or sites, and 24 percent said they avoided posting online in ways that would "identify them as Jewish." Around 90 percent said they had experienced antisemitism online in the year prior to the survey, with 25 percent citing Facebook.
Those numbers were relatively unchanged from 2018, when the study was last conducted.
"Europe is witnessing a wave of antisemitism, partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East," FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said in a July 11 press release. "This severely limits Jewish people's ability to live in safety and with dignity. 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 polarised society, we urgently need to spread the message of tolerance and ensure respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of all."
