Antisemitism and Immigration in Europe

A New Geography of Hatred Since October 7, 2023

Since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, antisemitism in Europe has entered a new phase. European security services, interior ministries, and Jewish community organizations all report the same phenomenon: a sharp and sustained rise in antisemitic acts across the continent.

To understand what is happening in Europe today, three factors must be analyzed together: the evolution of antisemitic violence, demographic and migration trends, and the legal and security responses of European states. It is the interaction of these three dynamics that is reshaping the European landscape.

An Unprecedented Rise in Antisemitic Acts

Across most Western European countries, antisemitic acts have reached levels not seen in decades. The scale of the phenomenon varies by country, but the trend is the same everywhere: a sudden surge after October 7, followed by persistently high levels.

Orders of magnitude give a sense of the scale. Germany recorded more than 8,000 antisemitic acts in 2024. The United Kingdom reported more than 4,000 acts in 2023 and more than 3,500 in 2024. France recorded around 1,600 acts in 2024. Austria exceeded 1,500 acts in 2024. Belgium and the Netherlands reported sharp increases, including threats against Jewish institutions and episodes of collective violence.

But raw numbers alone do not tell the full story. There is a fundamental difference between insults, threats, attacks on synagogues and schools, physical assaults, and murders. When looking at the most serious acts — killings and violent assaults — France occupies a unique position in Europe.

France: A Country Marked by Repeated Antisemitic Murders

France is the only European country that has experienced a continuous series of antisemitic murders since the early 2000s: Ilan Halimi in 2006, the Toulouse Jewish school........

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