CFCA – Annual Evaluation 2014 – Present situation and tendencies
2014 was marked by an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents, acts of terrorism and attempted attacks against Jewish targets, primarily by parties identifying with extremist Islamic movements or with the radical right. At the same time, there was worsening trend in street harassment toward Jews, and verbal and physical violence, a phenomena which increased mainly in Western Europe, in proximity to synagogues and Jewish schools. An increase of 400% in the number of antisemitic incidents of was recorded in July-August 2014, compared to the previous year, following the Israel–Gaza conflict in Operation Protective Edge.
The campaign for the de-legitimization and demonization of Israel is a major threat against Jewish communities and against the State of Israel. In this context, the increasing anti-Israel activity on campuses across USA was prominently noticeable.
The trend of blurring the lines between anti-Israel / anti-Zionism and antisemitism continued during the past year. The intensity and nature of the antisemitic wave in July and August demonstrate the organizations of extreme left-wing activists, along with Muslim immigrants, reflected in a record number of demonstrations with antisemitic features all over the world.
The extreme right continues to be a major factor in antisemitic activity, but in most violent cases in which the perpetrators were identified, they were of Arab or Muslim origins.
The trend of online hate speech and classical antisemitism in web sites, social media, and smartphones apps continues. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories, led by The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, continue to be popular in social networks and web sites.
Since the available data are largely dependent on the willingness and the ability of victims to report the incidents, the number of incidents is probably larger than the number presented in this report. Data presented in this report represent the tip of the iceberg and constitute an indicator. We consistently work to improve the quality of the image that can be presented about this topic.
