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Global Antisemitism Rises Sharply in 2021

There was “a significant increase” last year in “antisemitic incidents in most countries with large Jewish populations,” according to a report published by the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University on Wednesday.

The annual document reports a dramatic rise in the number of antisemitic incidents in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Australia, among other countries. The increase stems from the strengthening of both the radical Right and Left political movements and the vast capacity of social networks to spread lies and incitement, the researchers found.

They noted that a boom in conspiracy theories resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Israel-Hamas war in May 2021, generated acute surges of antisemitism.

The worrisome numbers cause researchers to question existing strategies against antisemitism.

”Something just isn’t working. In recent years the fight against antisemitism has enjoyed extensive resources worldwide, and yet, despite many important programs and initiatives, the number of antisemitic incidents, including violent assaults, is rapidly escalating,” says Prof. Uriya Shavit, head of the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry.

“What we really need is a courageous and unsparing examination of the efficacy of existing strategies,” he adds.

Hatred of Jews became very present in the US last year.

The NYPD recorded 214 anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City in 2021, up from 126 the previous year, and the LAPD recorded 79 such crimes compared to only 40 in 2020.

A total of 251 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the US in only three weeks, during the riots around the 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict in May.

The Anti-Defamation League recorded a 27% increase over 2020 and a 113% increase over 2019 in incidents of white supremacist antisemitic propaganda. This is particularly disturbing given that there was only a slight decrease in the overall number of white supremacist propaganda distributions.

The report is based on an analysis of dozens of studies from around the globe, alongside information from law enforcement authorities, the media, and Jewish organizations in various countries.