In 2023, the Bundesverband RIAS (Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism) documented 4,782 antisemitic incidents nationwide. This represents an increase of over 80% compared to the previous year. On average, 13 antisemitic incidents were recorded per day. The Hamas terror attacks in Israel on October 7 2023 led to a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in Germany.
There was a notable increase in violent incidents, particularly towards the end of the year: around two-thirds of all cases of extreme violence, assaults, and threats occurred after October 7. In Berlin, two unknown individuals threw Molotov cocktails at a Jewish community center in mid-October 2023. A few days later, flares were thrown at a Jewish family’s home in North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, threats of extermination against Jewish institutions and individuals increased after October 7.
Following the Hamas terror attacks, antisemitic incidents increased abruptly: RIAS reporting offices were made aware of 2,787 antisemitic incidents from October 7 through the end of the year alone. This means that in the nearly three months following October 7, RIAS documented more incidents than in the entire previous year. Jews increasingly experienced antisemitism in their immediate surroundings: at work, in educational institutions, and on social media platforms. Danger for Jews has objectively increased since October 7. Jewish life in Germany is now even more heavily restricted than before.
In 2023, the majority of attributable incidents were related to the political context of anti-Israel activism. This was especially evident at antisemitic gatherings. Rejection of the Jewish state mobilized various political spectrums. In this context, the Holocaust was often relativized or denied. For example, at a gathering in Düsseldorf in early November, a placard read, “Dear Zionists, stop doing what was done to you in World War II!”
