Austria: Significantly fewer anti-Semitic incidents reported
From January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022, a total of 381 anti-Semitic incidents were reported to the Anti-Semitism Reporting Office of the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG). Compared to the same period last year (562), this is a decrease of 32 percent. This decline is primarily related to the decrease in anti-Semitic incidents related to corona, according to a report published on Thursday. A higher number of unreported cases can be assumed.
With 219 reports, the majority of incidents related to “harmful behavior”, followed by 82 mass mailings, 61 reports of property damage, 12 threats and seven assaults. Most incidents were reported in January (91), after which the number dropped to 50 to 60 reports per month. In May, the number flared up (72), which again came from the report on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Many incidents related to the pandemic
Of the 381 reported incidents, 66 were related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 96 related to Shoah relativism, 123 to Israel-related anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitic conspiracy myths were the reason for a report to the IKG 56 times.
According to the report, 316 cases could be clearly assigned ideologically. More than half (201) of the incidents came from the political right, 81 from the “left” and 34 were “Muslim”. In the case of attacks and threats in particular, Muslim-motivated perpetrators predominate, while in the case of property damage and insulting behavior, discrimination from the right.
“The decrease in the total number of reported incidents is gratifying. A closer look reveals particular problems, however, because the number of threats and physical attacks is still at the high level of the previous year. But we can see today that mainstream society takes the danger of anti-Semitism seriously Therefore, we will continue to work with all partners in civil society, authorities and politics to further reduce anti-Semitism in Austria,” said IKG President Oskar Deutsch, commenting on the report.
Benjamin Nagele, head of the reporting office and general secretary of the IKG Vienna, assesses the lower number of reported attacks as the result of political measures.