Rising Antisemitism in Austria: A Shift in Sources of Hate

On October 7, 2023, the attack by Hamas on Israel marked a significant turning point, not only in international relations but also in the daily lives of Jewish communities in Austria. Oskar Deutsch, the president of the Israeli Community (IKG), reported that following the Hamas massacre, there was a surge in antisemitic incidents. He shared alarming examples, such as an incident in September 2024 where three visibly Jewish children were assaulted by two older youths in Vienna. One attacker violently pushed a Jewish student to the ground while shouting slogans supporting Palestine. In another case, a man was surrounded by a group who forcibly removed his traditional Jewish hat, the Shtreimel, during Shabbat. Additionally, a mother recounted that her child had been subjected to antisemitic insults on their way to school for several months.

These incidents are part of a broader trend, with the IKG recording a total of 1,520 antisemitic occurrences in 2024. While there was a peak in December 2023, the overall numbers remained alarmingly high, with attacks more than doubling from two years prior and a 32.5% increase compared to 2023. Deutsch characterized 2024 as a year that saw a troubling new record for antisemitic incidents. He expressed concern over the many cases that likely went unreported, suggesting that the real figure could be much higher as many victims may feel disheartened and refrain from reporting their experiences.

The situation remains tense, Deutsch noted, but the Jewish community is taking extensive measures to ensure that Jews in Vienna can live without fear. This includes implementing significant and costly security measures to protect community members. In 2024, there was an increase in various forms of antisemitic acts, including physical assaults, property damage, threats, and offensive behavior. For example, two Swedish tourists vandalized an Israeli flag at the Vienna Stadttempel, and graffiti calling for violence against Jews was discovered.

Benjamin Nägele, the IKG's secretary general, emphasized the disturbing escalation in the severity of antisemitic actions, with both perpetrators and victims becoming increasingly younger. A notable shift in the ideological origins of these offenses has also emerged. In 2023, most antisemitic incidents were attributed to right-wing extremism or neo-Nazi motivations. However, recent data indicates a significant increase in incidents with a Muslim background, which now accounts for nearly 30% of all reported cases. Furthermore, about a quarter of incidents have been associated with leftist ideologies, while attacks from the far-right have fallen behind.

Out of 24 documented physical assaults on Jews, 13 were linked to a Muslim background, and nearly half of the reported threats also stemmed from the same source. This trend is reflected in the rise of antisemitic rhetoric during specific global events, such as the May campaign against Israel, which significantly fueled antisemitic sentiments worldwide. The report indicates that Austria's experiences mirror a broader pattern observed in other countries, where antisemitic incidents surged at the end of 2023 and stabilized at elevated levels thereafter.

As the Jewish community grapples with this persistent challenge, Deutsch firmly stated that they will not normalize such hatred. While acknowledging that antisemitism will always exist, he stressed the need to find ways to reduce its prevalence to a manageable level. He called for collective responsibility among all communities, including Muslims and leftists, to address the issue effectively. In response to these alarming trends, Alexander Pröll, the Austrian State Secretary for Combating Antisemitism, announced plans for new measures to address this crisis, which are set to be introduced within the year.