Europe’s current top list of hate, after October 7
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 attack in 2012, the Hyper Cacher attack in 2015, the murder of Sarah Halimi in 2017, and Mireille Knoll in 2018.
Since October 7, French authorities have reported numerous physical assaults, daily threats, increased pressure in schools, and the departure of Jewish families from certain neighborhoods. Applications for emigration to Israel have also increased.
The French pattern is clear: antisemitism in France more frequently translates into physical violence than in most other Western European countries. The issue is not only the number of acts, but their severity and their impact on daily life.
Germany: The Highest Number of Acts Despite the Harshest Laws
Germany represents another key case. It is the European country with the strictest laws against Nazism, Holocaust denial, and incitement to racial hatred. Nazi symbols and gestures are banned. Holocaust denial is a criminal offense. Neo-Nazi organizations are closely monitored. Synagogues are under permanent police protection.
Despite this legal and security framework, Germany now records the highest number of antisemitic acts in Europe.
German security services identify several sources of antisemitism: the neo-Nazi far right, radical far-left movements, Islamist networks, and antisemitism linked to anti-Israel demonstrations. Germany today concentrates all these forms simultaneously, which helps explain the scale of the phenomenon.
One conclusion emerges clearly: criminal law alone is not sufficient to eliminate antisemitism.
Immigration, Demography, and the Importation of Conflicts
The evolution of immigration since 2015 is a central factor in the European context. Europe has received large migration flows from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa, and the Sahel, and more recently from Ukraine.
In broad terms, between 2015 and 2024, Germany recorded roughly six to seven million net entries, the United Kingdom four to five million, and France between 2.5 and 3 million. The Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden experienced particularly high immigration relative to their population.
European intelligence services widely note that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict acts as a powerful mobilizing factor among certain segments of immigrant populations, particularly during demonstrations and on social media. However, antisemitism in Europe cannot be attributed to a single source.
Today, three main sources of antisemitic acts are identified across Europe: traditional far-right movements, radical Islamist networks or Middle Eastern–imported antisemitism, and radical far-left anti-Zionism. The dominant source varies from country to country.
Different National Profiles
In France, antisemitism comes from a combination of radicalized Islamists, criminal networks in certain suburbs, segments of the radical far left, and a smaller far-right fringe. The distinguishing feature is the relatively frequent shift from verbal hostility to physical violence.
In Germany, antisemitism was historically associated with the far right, but today it includes far-right networks, imported antisemitism, and far-left activism. The number of acts is very high, but lethal attacks are less frequent than in France.
In the United Kingdom, antisemitism is particularly visible in some universities and activist movements, with highly radical demonstrations and strong ideological anti-Zionism.
In Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden, the Middle East conflict has a strong influence on domestic tensions, with violent demonstrations and growing pressure on Jewish institutions.
A European Ranking
If we combine murders, physical assaults, overall climate, number of acts, and pressure on daily life, a general hierarchy emerges across Europe.
France ranks first in terms of violence and murders. Germany ranks first in terms of the sheer number of antisemitic acts. The United Kingdom appears as a center of ideological and academic radicalization. Belgium faces a high level of terrorist threat. The Netherlands has experienced episodes of collective violence. Austria and Sweden have seen very sharp increases in antisemitic incidents. Switzerland has recorded a significant rise in threats.
A Historic Shift Since October 7
The major change since October 7 is structural. Before, antisemitism in Europe was largely associated with far-right extremist groups and remained relatively marginal in public space.
Today, several forms of antisemitism coexist and sometimes reinforce each other: far-right extremism, radical Islamism, radical far-left activism, militant anti-Zionism, online mobilization through social media, mass street demonstrations, and growing pressure within universities.
For the first time since 1945, Europe is facing a multi-source antisemitism driven by different ideologies at the same time. The issue is no longer only historical or moral. It has become political, social, security-related, demographic, and geopolitical.
Conclusion
Three major conclusions can be drawn.
France is the country where Jews are most exposed to physical violence. Germany is the country where antisemitism is most widespread in terms of the number of acts, despite very strict laws. The United Kingdom has become a central hub for ideological and academic radicalization.
Even where legal, police, and security responses are strongest, the wave has not stopped. Since October 7, antisemitism in Europe has once again become a major political and security issue. The question is no longer only about memory or morality. It is now a matter of security, demography, and geopolitics.
Europe is entering a new phase in which antisemitism is no longer a marginal phenomenon, but a structural one.
This is the world we live in, where there is no longer any morality or goodwill.