Video
08 November 2019

Video blog by Michael O'Flaherty: antisemitism in Europe

In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty speaks about the alarming increase of antisemitism in Europe and how to combat it.

It’s 81 years today since “Kristallnacht”. And it’s shocking that 81 years later we still have to be so concerned about antisemitism in Europe.

We know we have got a problem of attacks against Jews because Jews themselves tell us that through our surveys. We know it because increasingly the population of our societies says that we have got a problem of antisemitism.

And we know it from the annual report that the Fundamental Rights Agency produces on patterns of recorded attacks against Jews across the EU Member States.

The figures in this year’s report are very worrying. But the thing that strikes me most about the report this year is the 12 countries with regard to which there are either no reported attacks, which I don’t find convincing, very low numbers of attacks, which also leaves me puzzled, or in some cases a refusal by governments to gather the very data itself.

Now we need to do a lot to combat antisemitism. But one very simple, basic act that we could work on right away is to gather the data. Let’s put the story together, build the evidence so that we can take the necessary action.