B’nai B’rith: 'normalization' of antisemitism has 'exponentially amplified' at European universities since Oct 7

A new report published by B’nai B’rith International, democ and the European Union of Jewish Students states that antisemitism at universities across Europe has risen significantly since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

“The incremental normalization of antisemitic attitudes within academic settings has been an observable phenomenon even prior to the October 7 attacks, but has since exponentially risen,” the report states.

The 100-page report – submitted in January 2025 and reflecting developments up to that date – defends students’ right to protest but notes that many recorded incidents of antisemitism stemmed from anti-Zionist demonstrations on campus.

The reports were submitted in January 2025 and reflect developments up to that date

“The increase in campus protests, encampments, and demonstrations following the October 7, 2023 attacks, has, in many cases, escalated into incidents of harassment and violence, raising serious concerns about the ability of universities to ensure the safety and well-being of their students,” it states.

The report does not provide hard data concerning the overall rise of antisemitism in Europe.

Rather, it documents a large number of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist incidents throughout several European countries, as well as the reactions from Jewish students, the universities, the government, and the general public.

B’nai B’rith argues that these incidents are caused by an increase in the “normalization of antisemitism narratives” at European universities, which is “anchored in almost all countries under the guise of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, or human rights narratives.”

It adds that students defending Hamas usually do so “in the context of narratives of decolonization and anti-imperialism.”

Yet some organizations do not stop merely at the verbal defense of terror, but are in fact directly tied to terrorists.

The report noted that within some European universities, there is “coordination and involvement of organizations with documented ties to terror, such as Samidoun or Masar Badil, both known for their links to the PFLP – the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a United States and European Union-designated terrorist organization.”

Following the publication's release, B’nai B’rith International President Robert Spitzer and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin said the following: “This report makes clear that Europe’s universities are failing their Jewish students,” they said. “Just as we have seen on campuses across the United States, antisemitism here is too often excused as ‘activism’ – but in reality, it is a threat to safety, inclusion and the very integrity of higher education.”

Democ is a non-profit association of journalists, academics and media professionals who work together to observe, document and analyze anti-democratic movements. The organization analyzes how these forces operate, why they are gaining strength, and how they can be countered.