Antisemitic Acts Surge in Belgium After Hamas Attack on Israel

By Hamodia Staff

The number of antisemitic acts in Belgium has seen a significant increase since the Hamas attack on Simchas Torah, according to the latest data released by Unia, an independent public body fighting discrimination, on Thursday. Between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, Unia received 91 reports related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, compared to 57 reports for the entire year of 2022. The majority of these reports involved antisemitic remarks or acts, with 66 cases explicitly referencing the Jewish origin of the targeted individuals. Hate messages, primarily online, constituted most cases, but incidents also occurred in public areas.

The reported cases include beatings, graffiti, and the desecration of numerous graves in the Jewish section of a cemetery near Charleroi. Comparatively, Unia received four to five reports per month related to antisemitism in 2022, totaling 57 reports for the entire year. The surge in antisemitic incidents is noted since Oct. 7, 2023.

The increase in reported antisemitic acts aligns with trends observed in various European countries since the outbreak of the war. Belgium, with a Jewish population of approximately 29,000, has witnessed this surge, particularly in cities like Antwerp.

Although most of the Jewish community in the capital, Brussels, is secular, the city of Antwerp has a large chareidi community.