The Covid-19 pandemic has "
rekindled
" anti-Semitic rhetoric and given rise to "
new myths and conspiracy theories blaming Jews
" for the current health crisis, according to a European report released on Tuesday. “
Anti-Semitism, especially on the internet, has increased during the pandemic,
” writes the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), headquartered in Vienna, which relies on official statistics and the evidence gathered by civil organizations. In Germany, the network of RIAS associations thus noted that, in the first months of the pandemic, 44% of anti-Semitic incidents recorded were “
associated with the coronavirus
”.
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Likewise, in the Czech Republic the Federation of Jewish Communities has observed "
an increase in the circulation of manifestations of hate online
", fueled by the conspiracy sphere, a rise against vaccines and restrictions.
More generally, "
the data gaps continue to obscure the reality
", further deplores the FRA, few EU members identifying "
effectively
" anti-Semitic incidents.
And some, like Hungary and Portugal, have no official figures.
It is not possible to make "
relevant comparisons
, According to the report.
For example, Spain recorded only three incidents last year, against 339 for France, while Germany recorded 2351, "
the highest over the period 2010-2020
".
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In many countries, "
the overwhelming majority of incidents go unreported, whether to the police or to another institution,
" the document said. "
Anti-Semitism is a serious problem, but, without data, we do not know how serious it is
," commented the director of the agency, quoted in a statement, calling on European countries to "
step up their efforts
" by view of better collection. "
We will thus be able to better fight against hatred and prejudice,
" he insists. Brussels presented in October its first strategy to combat anti-Semitism, in order to combat online hatred, strengthen the protection of synagogues and promote the transmission of the history of the Shoah.