Skip to main content
Home
  • English
  • Русский

Main navigation

  • Home
    • About us
    • ODIHR's mandate
    • ODIHR's methodology
    • Sitemap
    • FAQs
  • Hate Crime Data
    • Racist and xenophobic hate crime
    • Anti-Roma hate crime
    • Anti-Semitic hate crime
    • Anti-Muslim hate crime
    • Anti-Christian hate crime
    • Other hate crime based on religion or belief
    • Gender-based hate crime
    • Anti-LGBTI hate crime
    • Disability hate crime
  • ODIHR's Tools
  • Civil Society
  • Participating States
  • Image
    Albania
    Albania
  • Image
    Andorra
  • Image
    Armenia
  • Image
    Austria
  • Image
    Azerbaijan
  • Image
    Belarus
  • Image
    Belgium
  • Image
    Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Image
    Bulgaria
  • Image
    Canada
  • Image
    Croatia
  • Image
    Cyprus
  • Image
    Czech Republic
  • Image
    Denmark
  • Image
    Estonia
  • Image
    Finland
  • Image
    France
  • Image
    Georgia
  • Image
    Germany
  • Image
    Greece
  • Image
    Holy See
  • Image
    Hungary
  • Image
    Iceland
  • Image
    Ireland
  • Image
    Italy
  • Image
    Kazakhstan
  • Image
    Kyrgyzstan
  • Image
    Latvia
  • Image
    Liechtenstein
  • Image
    Lithuania
  • Image
    Luxembourg
  • Image
    Malta
  • Image
    Moldova
  • Image
    Monaco
  • Image
    Mongolia
  • Image
    Montenegro
  • Image
    Netherlands
  • Image
    North Macedonia
    North Macedonia
  • Image
    Norway
  • Image
    Poland
  • Image
    Portugal
  • Image
    Romania
  • Image
    Russian Federation
  • Image
    San Marino
  • Image
    Serbia
  • Image
    Slovakia
  • Image
    Slovenia
  • Image
    Spain
  • Image
    Sweden
  • Image
    Switzerland
  • Image
    Tajikistan
  • Image
    Türkiye
    Türkiye
  • Image
    Turkmenistan
  • Image
    Ukraine
  • Image
    United Kingdom
  • Image
    United States of America
  • Image
    Uzbekistan

Anti-Semitic hate crime

For centuries, Jews were persecuted as a religious minority. In the modern era, anti-Semitism has emerged as a political ideology that claims Jews control the world and are to be blamed for phenomena such as capitalism and communism. Anti-Semitism, including the belief that Jews are racially inferior, was the driving force behind the Holocaust. Anti-Semitic narratives, such as blood libel, continue to be heard today. Complex contemporary challenges like the financial crisis or the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians are reduced to placing blame on Jews, drawing on such anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories. Contemporary manifestations of anti-Semitism also revolve around the Holocaust, with some blaming the Holocaust on Jews or suggesting that Jews focus on this tragedy to gain an advantage. Denying the Holocaust is one way of expressing anti-Semitism. ODIHR's reporting demonstrates that anti-Semitic hate incidents involve attacks against Jews both on religious and on ethnic grounds. Attempted arson, graffiti on synagogues, assaults on persons wearing religious garments, the desecration of graves and cases of murder have all been reported to ODIHR. Some civil society groups have reported a spike in incidents in connection with the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Holocaust remembrance days, and other Nazi-related anniversaries.

Anti-Semitism was first condemned by OSCE participating States in 1990. The OSCE's 2004 Berlin Conference on anti-Semitism identified anti-Semitism as a threat to stability and security in the OSCE region. In Berlin and at subsequent Ministerial Council meetings, governments committed to comprehensively address hate crime data-collection, legislation, law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary and co-operation with civil society.

In many participating States, the use of Nazi symbols and Holocaust-denial are specifically criminalized, leading to hate speech being included in their data on hate crimes. A further methodological challenge is that anti-Semitic hate crime is recorded differently in different jurisdictions. Due to the particular nature of the phenomenon, anti-Semitic cases can be recorded as anti-religious, anti-ethnic or – more broadly – racist and xenophobic hate crime. Several Jewish civil society organizations work directly with the police to monitor anti-Semitic incidents. This innovative practice allows intelligence to be shared and resources allocated to increase the protection of Jewish communities. However, under-reporting is also an issue in the region, with Jewish communities citing a lack of trust in the authorities as a common reason.

ODIHR TANDIS

SELECT YEAR

  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009

States that report

  • Image
    Austria
  • Image
    Canada
  • Image
    Croatia
  • Image
    France
  • Image
    Germany
  • Image
    Ireland
  • Image
    Italy
  • Image
    Sweden
  • Image
    United Kingdom
  • Image
    United States of America
10 states

Incidents were reported on these states

  • Image
    Armenia
  • Image
    Austria
  • Image
    Belarus
  • Image
    Belgium
  • Image
    Bulgaria
  • Image
    Canada
  • Image
    Croatia
  • Image
    Czech Republic
  • Image
    Denmark
  • Image
    Estonia
  • Image
    Finland
  • Image
    France
  • Image
    Germany
  • Image
    Greece
  • Image
    Hungary
  • Image
    Italy
  • Image
    Kazakhstan
  • Image
    Kyrgyzstan
  • Image
    Latvia
  • Image
    Lithuania
  • Image
    Moldova
  • Image
    Netherlands
  • Image
    Poland
  • Image
    Russian Federation
  • Image
    Slovakia
  • Image
    Spain
  • Image
    Sweden
  • Image
    Switzerland
  • Image
    Ukraine
  • Image
    United Kingdom
  • Image
    United States of America
31 states

International Reports

Belgium

The UN Human Rights Committee encouraged Belgium to intensify its efforts to prosecute and punish racist crimes as well as anti-Semitic crimes and “Islamophobic” crimes.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted that attackers continued to damage religious sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also recommended that all “incidents of alleged racist violence be thoroughly and promptly investigated” and that the authorities “introduce systematic and comprehensive monitoring of all incidents which may constitute racist violence.”

France

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted reports of increased convictions in France in connection with racist and anti-Semitic crimes as indications of an improved response by the court system.

Poland

The UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern about Poland’s reportedly low rate of investigation and prosecution of crimes potentially motivated by racial hatred. It also noted with concern “persistent manifestations of anti-Semitism, including physical attacks and desecration of Jewish cemeteries”.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) reported on instances of the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and widespread instances of anti-Semitic graffiti.

Slovakia

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) noted with concern the number of racially motivated attacks in Slovakia, encouraging investigation, prosecution and increased punishment for racially motivated violence. CERD also expressed its concern over the reported increase in anti-Semitic violence and urged authorities to intensify their efforts to combat and prevent such crimes.

OSCE Region

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published a report on manifestations of anti-Semitism in the EU, covering statistical data from 2001 to 2009.

Related publications

AS hate crimes cover.jpg
Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes
18 September 2019
Link
Türkçe
|
Link
Русский
|
Link
Bosanski
|
Link
Hrvatski
|
Link
Srpski
Security of Jewish communities.jpg
Understanding Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes and Addressing the Security Needs of Jewish Communities
15 May 2017
Link
Deutsch
|
Link
Polski
|
Link
Русский
|
Link
Українська
|
Link
Français
|
Link
Italiano
|
Link
Slovenčina
|
Link
Ελληνικά
|
Link
Български
WiA Teaching Aids cover
Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education: Teaching Aids
31 May 2018
Link
Русский
|
Link
Italiano
HMD2024-cover
Holocaust Memorial Days: An overview of remembrance and education in the OSCE region
27 January 2022

Bias Motivations

  • Racist and xenophobic hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Anti-Roma hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Anti-Semitic hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Anti-Muslim hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Hate crime against Christians and members of other religions
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Anti-LGBTI hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications
  • Disability hate crime
    • Background
    • States that report
    • Reports
    • International Reports
    • Related publications

Contact Us

Email tndinfo@odihr.pl
Tel +48 22 520 06 00
Fax +48 22 520 06 05
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department
Ul. Miodowa 10
00-251
Warsaw, Poland

Footer

  • ODIHR
  • ODIHR contacts
  • OSCE
  • About OSCE websites
  • Terms of service

Log In

  • Reset your password