Danish government announces initiatives to combat antisemitism

The Danish government announced that it will be implementing 15 initiatives in response to mounting antisemitism, including compulsory Holocaust education for children and an increase in enforcement in areas where hatred against Jews is the most prominent.

In response to mounting antisemitism – including dozens of antisemitic incidents taking place across the country on November 14, 2019, the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht and the antisemitic harassment of Frederiksberg city councillor David Zepernick during elections in November 2021 – the government announced the initiatives, which will largely focus on education about antisemitism and the Holocaust.

Teaching about the Holocaust and the cultural history of Jews in Denmark will be compulsory for children in school.

There will be additional funds for Jewish cultural initiatives, such as the Danish Jewish Museum, so that it can hold further exhibits and host talks about Jewish culture.

There will be grants for researched about antisemitism, as well as enhancements in security for the Jewish community in order to continue the “maintenance of the necessary security efforts to protect Jews and Jewish institutions.”

A national co-ordinator to combat anti-Semitism will be appointed, and further powers granted for supervisors in the Danish Working Environment Authority on Antisemitism.

Denmark will also increase its involvement in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) organization.

“We know from European studies that some Danish Jews avoid carrying objects that can identify them as Jews, and that some experience being harassed at school and at work, simply because they are Jews,” Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup said.

Hækkerup added: “We cannot and will not accept that.”

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