Germany records a 77% increase in antisemitism, majority of Jew-hatred is Israel-linked

A record number of 8,627 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Germany in 2024, a whopping 77% increase compared to 2023, according to RIAS, a watchdog organization that monitors antisemitism in Germany. The number included 186 physical attacks and 8 severe assault incidents. 

Benjamin Steinitz, executive director of RIAS, expressed deep concerns about the dramatic rise of antisemitic incidents in the country.

"We have never witnessed such a high number of antisemitic attacks against Jews in a single calendar year," Steinitz stated.

“The danger of being attacked just for being Jewish in Germany has increased dramatically since October 7,” he warned. 

The report noted that 544 antisemitic cases were linked to far-right individuals, the highest number of such incidents since 2020. However, 5,857 antisemitic incidents, or 67% of all recorded anti-Jewish cases, were defined as “Israel-related antisemitism.” This reportedly represents a 100% increase in Israel-linked Jew-hatred compared to the previous year. Far-left extremists and Muslim radicals have played a disproportionate role in the rise of Israel-linked Jew-hatred in Germany and across the Western world. 

The report emphasized that it did not define criticism of the Israeli government’s policies as antisemitic unless it crossed the line into anti-Jewish rhetoric. Examples of Israel-linked antisemitism included demonization of the Jewish state and denying Israel’s right to exist. It also included accusations that German Jews are to blame for the policies of the Israeli government.

Israeli journalist Itay Maschiah criticized the report, claiming that it focuses too much on Israel. However, Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Combating Antisemitism, Felix Klein, said he had “full confidence” in the RIAS report.

Ron Dekel, president of the Union of Jewish Students in Germany, predicted that the number of antisemitic incidents would likely drop when the war in Gaza ends.  

“If the war in Gaza ends at some point, tensions in Germany and on university campuses will likely ease,” Dekel assessed. However, he remains concerned about the future. “But antisemitism linked to Israel is currently the main issue for Jewish students – and from my perspective, unfortunately, it’s likely to stay that way.”

Klein warned that protests against the Hamas-initiated Gaza war are being used as a cover for antisemitism. 

“For many people, the war has become a justification for antisemitic behavior,” he argued. “Jews are being held accountable for the actions of Israel, and that has a very real impact on their quality of life.”

The German news outlet Bild reported in February that Jews in the German capital, Berlin, increasingly hide their Jewish identity due to concerns of antisemitism. 

Ilan Kiesling, the spokesman for the Jewish community in Berlin, warned that German Jews face growing security threats post-Oct. 7. 

"This threat to Jewish life seems to have reached a new dimension, not only in Berlin, which has led to great uncertainty among our community members," Kiesling told Bild. 

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered, West Germany – and later a unified Germany – prioritized close ties with Israel and the Jewish state. In the 1990s, Germany absorbed tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants from former Soviet Republics. 

However, in recent years, Germany has also absorbed a large number of migrants from primarily Muslim-majority countries where antisemitism is rampant. This demographic change has likely led to an increase in antisemitic incidents even before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. 

In September 2024, Germany announced it would deny citizenship to individuals who reject Israel’s right to exist, including those who use antisemitic slogans such as “From the river to the sea.”

The German Federal Ministry noted at the time that "statements such as 'From the river to the sea' coincide with an explicit call for violent actions against the State of Israel."