SOCIETY – Antisemitism worries Italian Jews

Almost 8,000 Jewish citizens from 13 European countries participated in the latest survey by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights – FRA, highlighting significant concerns about rising antisemitism in the Old Continent. FRA’s third survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jews was conducted between January and June 2023 and therefore pre-dates the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s military response in Gaza, which triggered an alarming new wave of anti-Jewish hatred.

Based on information on antisemitism collected from 12 Jewish community organizations, show that since October 2023 Jewish people have experienced more antisemitic incidents, with some organizations reporting an increase of more than 400%. It is easy to imagine that the situation, already alarming at that time, has deteriorated significantly.

In Italy, 472 Jews completed the survey, responding to various questions about their situation and their perceived sense of security. FRA revealed that 74% of Jewish respondents in Italy consider antisemitism a “big problem in their lives,” compared to a European average of 84%. 73% think that antisemitism has increased in Italy in the last five years, slightly lower than the continental average of 80%.

A chapter of the survey focused on online antisemitism. The majority of the respondents (40%) encounter it on Facebook, 17% in online news, 14% on Instagram and 9% on X. For this reason, 24% of Italian Jews reported limiting their participation in online discussions, 15% reduced their use of platforms and 8% said it negatively affected their mental health.

Regarding safety and security, 39% feel “very worried” about harassment and 28% about being attacked. 75% avoid wearing Jewish symbols in public, at least occasionally, while 16% feel “discriminated against” in the year before the survey. Furthermore, 27% of Italian Jews said they had considered emigrating “for reasons related to being Jewish.” According to the FRA report, only 12% think that the government is effectively combating antisemitism.