Denmark records near-record antisemitism for 3rd consecutive year

Jew-hatred in Denmark remained near record highs for a third consecutive year in 2025, with Jewish leaders warning that antisemitism has become increasingly normalized, according to the Department for Mapping and Registering Antisemitic Incidents (AKVAH) under the Jewish Community in Denmark.

AKVAH's annual report documented 199 antisemitic incidents in 2025 – the second-highest number since annual monitoring began in 2012, surpassed only by the 207 cases recorded in 2024. The incidents included harassment of Jewish individuals, targeted attacks and vandalism of Jewish property.

The findings reflect a broader rise in anti-Jewish incidents across Europe following the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. The report found that Danish Jews and Israelis are increasingly being blamed for conflicts in the Middle East, with 52% of recorded incidents involving collective blame directed at Jewish individuals or organizations.

Ina Rosen, head of the Danish Jewish community, warned that antisemitism in Denmark has reached an unprecedented level.

“Unfortunately, antisemitism in Denmark is not diminishing – it has become normalized at a level we have never witnessed before,” Rosen said in an official statement.

She argued that antisemitism poses a wider threat to Danish society beyond the Jewish community itself.

“This casts a dark shadow over Jewish life in Denmark, but antisemitism is not only a Jewish problem – it is a societal one. No democracy can accept a reality in which an entire group of citizens is subjected to such intense hatred,” Rosen explained.

According to the report, 70% of targeted individuals and institutions were visibly identifiable as Jewish.

“This is the most common form of antisemitism Danish Jews are experiencing today,” Rosen assessed.

“More and more, merely identifying as Jewish or displaying Jewish symbols is treated as a political stance for which individuals are held accountable. Regardless of how it is expressed, it amounts to an unacceptable imposition of collective guilt on an entire community,” she continued.

Rosen also said many Jews in Denmark increasingly feel compelled to conceal their identity in public.

“We are talking about Jewish fellow citizens who, every day, have to weigh how openly they can show who they are.”

“It is unacceptable for those affected, and it is also a loss for Danish society’s diversity when citizens feel compelled to conceal their identity,” Rosen said.

A 2025 poll by the Danish Institute for Human Rights found that 83% of Danish Jews had changed their behavior in public because of their Jewish identity, while 62% reported hiding Jewish symbols such as the Star of David.

Denmark, home to approximately 6,000 Jews, has historically maintained a reputation for supporting its Jewish community. During World War II, most Danish Jews were evacuated to neighboring Sweden by Danish volunteers during a rescue operation in October 1943. In 2022, Queen Margrethe attended an event at Copenhagen’s main synagogue marking 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark.

Denmark also strongly condemned the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted from southern Israel.

Still, antisemitic incidents have risen sharply in Denmark since the attack, mirroring trends seen in several Western countries.

In December 2025, the Danish government unveiled a 120 million DKK ($US18.7 million) national plan to combat antisemitism through 2030. The initiative includes 17 measures focused on security, education and prevention efforts.

Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard condemned antisemitism when announcing the plan.

“Jews in Denmark should not feel persecuted, harassed, or receive death threats,” Hummelgaard said.

“Danish Jews are part of our common culture, history, and soul, and we as a society have a responsibility to surround our Jewish fellow citizens [in support] when antisemitism rears its ugly face.”