PRAGUE (AP) — Anti-Semitic incidents in the Czech Republic have risen sharply over the past year, with their peak coming in the last quarter of 2023 following the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, an attack that triggered the war in Gazasaid the country’s Jewish community on Monday.
In its annual report, the Federation of Jewish Communities said it recorded 4,328 anti-Semitic incidents in 2023, a 90% increase from 2,277 the previous year.
The report states that 1,800 incidents – or 41.59% of the total – occurred in the last three months of the year.
“October 7 was immediately followed by a global explosive wave of anti-Semitism, which also hit the Czech Republic hard,” the report states.
Most anti-Jewish hatred, 98%, was expressed online, much of it through social media, he said.
These included the publication of false, dehumanizing, demonizing, vulgar and conspiratorial theories and stereotypes, as well as hatred directed at the State of Israel.
The report, however, concluded that the Czech Republic continues to be a safe country for Jews.
He said there had been no physical attacks recorded for the second year in a row. But 18 incidents involved anti-Semitic threats, harassment and verbal insults, more than double the previous year. The remainder of the incidents included demonization of the Jewish community with conspiracy theories and stereotypes, according to the report.
Hamas attacks on Israel killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. The militants also took around 250 people hostage.
Israel’s massive offensive in response has killed at least 39,580 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
