Antisemitism increases in Germany with 1,909 reported incidents in 2020

A new report has found that antisemitic incidents have increased in Germany, with more reported incidents occurring in 2020 than in 2019.

The report that was published by Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (Federal Association RIAS) found that the 1,909 reported incidents included 39 assaults, 167 cases of damages and desecration of property, and 1,449 cases of abusive behaviour.

Over one-quarter of the reported incidents were related to COVID-19, which included antisemitism prevalent at rallies as well as the promotion of antisemitic conspiracies, while approximately one-third of reported incidents took place online.

Benjamin Steinitz, the Executive Director of Federal Association RIAS, said “Conspiracist milieu during the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Israel activists during escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, plus the constant threat from right-wing extremism: Danger to Jews comes from many sides. Antisemitism is still multifaceted in Germany, and open expression of this hate is increasingly normalised. No matter in what form it must be resolutely ostracised and rejected.”

Another organisation said: “The massive mobilisation of antisemitism from different social and political milieus poses an increasing danger. Therein lies the dangerous dynamic of antisemitism. As the report shows, growing antisemitism from the right-wing extremist milieu was joined by antisemitic conspiracist mobilisation in the context of the pandemic.”

Last week, we reported that Germany banned the Hamas flag after a rise in antisemitic incidents. Hamas, the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, clashed with Israel last month, which lead to widespread antisemitism in Germany with several people arrested.

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