The Jonathas Institute has released a landmark report offering an in-depth analysis of antisemitism in Belgium, a phenomenon that has grown markedly since the early 2000s and accelerated further following the events of 7 October 2023.
Drawing on the most comprehensive survey ever conducted in the country on this subject, the report – authored by historians Joël Kotek and Joël Amar – provides a sobering overview of the attitudes towards Jews within Belgian society today.
Conducted by IPSOS Belgium between 8 and 12 May 2024, the survey involved a representative sample of 1,000 Belgian residents aged 18 and over. Commissioned by the Jonathas Institute with the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and in collaboration with the Centre Européen d’Études sur la Shoah, l’Antisémitisme et les Génocides (CEESAG), the study set out to measure antisemitic prejudice, assess perceptions of Jewish people, and examine public understanding of Judaism, especially in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The findings point to a disturbing persistence of antisemitic sentiment, which appears significantly concentrated at both extremes of the political spectrum, among segments of the Muslim population, and within the Brussels region. Far from being a residual or purely contextual phenomenon, antisemitism in Belgium appears entrenched in a broader socio-political climate, suggesting, in the words of English-speaking analysts, a “perfect storm” – a convergence of harmful forces exacerbating the threat to Belgian Jews.
Four distinct forms of antisemitism are identified in the report, each compounding the sense of isolation and anxiety felt by Belgium’s Jewish communities. These include classic antisemitic tropes, anti-Zionist expressions that spill over into antisemitism, conspiratorial narratives, and discriminatory perceptions linked to broader socio-economic grievances. Together, they form an ecosystem of hostility that feeds a growing sense of vulnerability.
A record number of 144 antisemitic incidents were reported in Belgium in 2023, the highest since monitoring began in 2001, according to data from antisemitisme.be. This stark rise lends urgency to the report’s call for renewed and restructured efforts to counter antisemitism. The authors argue that Belgium’s approach requires a fundamental reset – a strategic overhaul to improve its effectiveness and restore a sense of security for Jewish citizens.
The study is especially valuable in the Belgian context due to the scarcity of comparable data. To strengthen the analytical framework, the authors aligned several of their questions with those used in two recent French surveys: one conducted by IPSOS for the CRIF in February 2023, and another by IFOP for AJC Paris and the Fondation pour l’Innovation Politique in March 2024. Where appropriate, French findings have been included for comparative analysis.
By objectively documenting the scale and nature of antisemitism in Belgium, the Jonathas Institute aims not only to raise awareness of the threats facing the Jewish population, but also to alert society as a whole to the corrosive effects such hatred can have on democratic cohesion. The report calls for a collective awakening – a civic and institutional recommitment to the fight against antisemitism in all its forms.
More than a diagnostic tool, the publication is an urgent appeal. It challenges Belgian institutions, civil society, and the wider public to confront uncomfortable truths and to engage actively in safeguarding the values of pluralism and mutual respect.
