Austria records its highest number of antisemitic incidents in last twenty years

A Jewish group in Austria has reported that this year, it has received its highest number of recorded antisemitic incidents for the last twenty years.

The report, conducted by the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG), also found that the 562 recorded antisemitic incidents in the first half of 2021 had more than doubled since the first half of 2020, which produced 257, and was only marginally less than the 585 recorded incidents for the whole of last year.

The incidents of antisemitism included 58 cases of damage to property, such as antisemitic graffiti, along with eleven threats and eight physical attacks.

Oskar Deutsch, President of the Jewish community of Vienna, said: “Even if the numbers seem catastrophic at first glance, they do reflect reality. We rely on the cooperation with civil society, politics and the authorities in order to continue to secure self-confident Jewish life.”

The influx is believed to be in part due to both the rise of anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination networks, which have become known as hotbeds of antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes, and the clashes between Israel and the antisemitic genocidal terrorist group, Hamas, back in May.

Approximately half of these incidents’ perpetrators were believed to have been motivated by right-wing ideologies, about 100 by left-wing motives, and 71 cases were alleged to have had Muslim involvement.

“The sharp increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in Austria unfortunately confirms to me that we must continue the fight against antisemitism consistently and uncompromisingly,” said Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the Austrian National Council. He added: “It is a shame that the number of attacks, threats and insults against Jewish fellow citizens is increasing more and more.”

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