PM Netanyahu praises Hungarian AI-tool combating online antisemitism, backs its Europe-wide rollout

Taking time out of his schedule while managing a war and testifying in his corruption trial, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the president of a Hungarian antisemitism watchdog on Wednesday, telling him that the sharp rise of Jew hatred in Europe “directly affects Israel’s security.”

Kálmán Szalai, president of Hungary’s Action and Protection Foundation (TEV), briefed the prime minister on his organization’s AI-assisted program, which “identifies anti-Semitic content on social media and, if necessary, forwards it to the authorities.”

“The drastic increase in hate crimes requires comprehensive, institutional protection,” said Szalai.

The program is already operating in Germany and Austria, he said, adding TEV aimed to roll it out across most European states next year.

Netanyahu praised the initiative and called to adopt it more broadly. “Antisemitic hatred, both online and offline, impacts not only Jewish communities abroad but also Israel’s security,” he said.

The sharp increase in antisemitism in recent years has been widely reported. Online posts, memes and podcasts have played an important role in incitement against Jews, which is often being presented as criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism.

TEV released new data showing that in Germany, antisemitic incidents online jumped from 1,957 in 2020 to 4,886 in 2023, and the next year, to 8,627. About a quarter of those were classified as specifically anti-Israel antisemitism.

A similar picture presented itself in the UK, where the number of incidents rose from 1,662 incidents in 2020 to 4,106 in 2023, with almost half being directly linked to Israel and the Gaza War.

In Hungary, which has widely been seen as a safe haven for Jews, antisemitism also grew, albeit at a much lower level. Incidents counted by TEV rose from 45 in 2022 to 128 in 2023, and 664 the next year.

The Hungarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has cooperated closely with Israel and received Netanyahu on a state visit in defiance of the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu renewed his praise for Hungary having become one of the safest countries in the world for Jews, stressing that the cooperation to limit antisemitism has continued even amid growing international isolation and the war against Hamas.

TEV also cooperates with the Hungarian government, running education and media literacy programs in schools.

They teach students how to spot classic and modern antisemitic tropes, which today are often disguised as anti-Zionism, and how to report incidents.

Szalai also pointed to “50 Minutes,” a current affairs program on Neshama TV, a Jewish cable channel in Hungary, as a platform for fact-based coverage and Israeli documentaries.