Most online antisemitism stems from Palestinians, pro-Palestinian circles - report

Sixty-eight percent of online antisemitism originates in Palestinian or progressive pro-Palestinian circles – according to a new report on the state of antisemitism, by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, which was exposed by Minister Amichai Chikli during the cabinet meeting on Sunday morning.

Chikli said that “antisemitism is changing the way it manifests and it is increasingly focusing on hatred towards the Jewish state and the denial of its right to exist.”

Chikli shared that most of the antisemitic discourse on social media, 68%, according to the comprehensive research carried out by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, “originates in Palestinian or in progressive pro-Palestinian circles.” 

Chikli added that even though there has been a decrease in antisemitic incidents around the world, “there has been a noticeable jump in the number of antisemitic incidents specifically in the US, where a hostile atmosphere is emerging on some college campuses towards Jewish students, especially if they identify as Zionists.” 

“The State of Israel has a duty to lead the fight against antisemitism and to act in order to expand the adoption of the IHRA definition [for antisemitism], in as many countries and institutions as possible."

Violent antisemitism is on the rise

In addition, the Diaspora affairs report specified a sharp increase of 13% in the scope of violent antisemitic events in 2022 compared to 2021. The report also showed a significant increase in antisemitic discourse online, compared to the last five years and in relation to 2021 in particular.

According to the report, compared to 2021, they have seen a decrease in antisemitic incidents in 2022. 2021 was a very eventful year with antisemitic incidents due to Operation Guardian of the Walls in Israel. The countries with the highest rates of antisemitic attacks in 2022 were the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France - these countries are also some of the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel.

During the past year, three murder cases were recorded in France, in which antisemitic suspicion was investigated - compared to zero cases in 2020 and 2021. 

In the past year, there was a significant increase in antisemitic discourse online, in terms of the number of antisemitic posts published (27%+) and the number of users promoting antisemitic content (21%+). The cities that stood out in 2022 in terms of antisemitic discourse online are Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Berlin.

In the UK, there was a 28% increase in physical attacks as part of the total number of antisemitic incidents recorded in the Kingdom in 2022, when most of the attacks were carried out against London residents and Jewish institutions whose Jewish outlook was clear. In France, 50% of the total number of antisemitic incidents in the past year were physical attacks. In Germany, there was a significant increase of 57% in the number of violent antisemitic incidents.

Chairman of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) Yaakov Hagoel also presented a report on antisemitism in 2022 at the cabinet meeting. Hagoel asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Eli cohen to demand in their meetings with heads of foreign countries to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. "Adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism will give us tools in the fight against the sick and evil hate," Hagoel said.