According to the annual report on antisemitism issued on Tuesday by the World Zionist Organization, 2022 saw a minor slowdown in the rise in antisemitism for the first time in a decade, along with an increase in the number of antisemitic expressions on social networks.
In 2022, 46% of antisemitic incidents were reported in Europe, and 39% in North America and the US – compared to 47.7% and 33% respectively in 2021.
The WZO document, issued by the department for combating antisemitism in the WZO, led by Raheli Baratz-Rix, is based on reports from research institutes, police agencies, and Jewish communities.
39% of antisemitic incidents in 2022 were characterized as propaganda, and 28% as vandalism, an increase of 15% from 2021. 14% of the cases were antisemitic physical violence, 11% were verbal violence, and 7% were delegitimization.
More than 350 antisemitic incidents were recorded on US campuses in 2022, with many Israeli students there feeling the need to hide their identity or their support for Israel.
UK educational institutions saw an increase of close to 30% in antisemitic reports from 2021 to 2022.
In Germany, 1,555 antisemitic incidents were reported in 2022.
The Russia-Ukraine war brought with it an increase in antisemitism against the Jewish communities of both countries, alongside conspiracy theories on social networks about Israel’s involvement in the war, with the familiar claims that the Jews are plotting to take over the world and the Jewish connection behind the fighting. A survey conducted in Ukraine found that 78% of respondents thought the Jews were the biggest winners of the war between the two countries.
Bartz-Rix said: “The constant increase in antisemitism trends in the last decade is a matter of concern, while even the marked reduction in the number of incidents this year is not a sigh of relief. Antisemitism is everywhere, at any point in time and space, and we must not be silent on the guard against the phenomenon. I call for a joint integration of arms to deal with the areas of consciousness and advocacy in order to provide a broad response to this disturbing trend.”
