Czech Jewish Community Facing Increasing Antisemitism

The Jewish community in the Czech Republic is dealing with a surge of antisemitism, mostly found online and related to the impact the pandemic had on society as well as from right-wing extremists, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FZO).

Data compiled by the FZO found a total of 1,128 antisemitic incidents in 2021, 254 more than the 874 incidents in 2020. The number represents a 29 percent increase over the previous year.

Nearly all reported incidents (98 percent) were expressions of online hate (articles, posts on social networks, anonymous comments and discussion posts).

“This increase in incidents is related to the overall atmosphere in society, which, as in 2020, was significantly affected by the COVID-19 disease pandemic,” the FZO said in a statement.

“The analysis of data for the year 2021 pointed to a worrying trend of a continuous increase in recorded manifestations of threats, approval, justification or incitement to physical aggression.”

The FZO added that there was also a significant increase in antisemitic attacks by the extreme right in the Czech Republic in 2021.

“For the first time ever, the number of such registered incidents exceeded the category that includes incidents without a clear ideological background,” they said.

The FZO’s Annual Report on Manifestations of Antisemitism in the Czech Republic for the Year 2021 was part of the MANTIC project which was co-financed through the CERV (Citizens Equal Rights and Values) program of the European Commission.