Secretary-General of World Bnei Akiva (WBA) Roi Abecassis responded to the Annual Report on Anti-Semitism published by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. Abecassis states, “The statistics in the Report are consistent with the reports we’ve been hearing throughout the past year from many of our 150 representatives around the world. The proper response to this worrying trend, both on ideological and practical levels, is to reinforce the connection between the new, younger generation to Judaism and to cultivate its bond with the State of Israel, the only country in the world where Jews control their own fate. This bond also grants young people in Jewish communities around the world the tools they need to serve as faithful ambassadors of Judaism and the State of Israel, both on social networks and universities. These statistics should be our adrenaline to expand our efforts to other countries while widening our scope of representatives in the Diaspora.”

Minister of Diaspora Affairs Naftali Bennett will officially present the Annual Report on Anti-Semitism of 2016 this morning in the weekly government meeting. The Report is published annually in honor of International Holocaust Day, which will be marked this coming Friday.

Main Points:

1. Doubling of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany (461 incidents reported this year compared to 194 in 2015) following refugee crisis and rise of extreme right.

2. 62% rise in violent anti-Semitic attacks in London.

3. Increase in hundreds of percent of anti-Semitic comments posted on the internet. During October alone, 40 million users were exposed to anti-Semitic posts on Twitter.

4. 45% rise in antic-Semitic incidents on USA college campuses. Doubling of cancellation of Jewish student affairs on college campuses.

5. Decline in anti-Semitic incidents in France following government intervention and joint government efforts to secure Jewish communities and reduce points of friction.

6. Rise of anti-Semitic comments among politicians in USA and Europe.

7. Rise in alt-right parties in Europe and USA; rise of radical left parties.

8. Establishing anti-Israel ideology as the new form of anti-Semitism in Israel.

Trends of New Anti-Semitism:

Rise in anti-Semitic incidents around the world; anti-Semitic expressions and comments on media and social networks; demonstrations and violence targeting Jewish communities and injuring Jews on pretext of blaming Israel as a bloodthirsty, illegitimate state. These are collectively creating a slippery slope that leads to legitimate talk that incites hatred and attacks against Jewish communities around the world.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)