Germany Sees Dramatic Spike in Antisemitic Incidents After Hamas Attack

A group tracking antisemitism in Germany said Tuesday that it has seen a shocking spike of antisemitic incidents in the country since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last month.

The Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) in Berlin said it recorded 994 incidents in the European nation from October 7 to November 9. RIAS said the average of 29 incidents per day is a 320 percent increase compared to the same time period last year.

Among the 994 reports of antisemitism, there were three cases of "extreme violence," 29 attacks, targeted damage to 72 properties, 32 threats, four mass mailings and 854 cases of offensive behavior, according to the RIAS study, released on Tuesday and translated from German to English.

"They manifested themselves in the form of antisemitic graffiti in public spaces, antisemitic statements at universities, deliberate damage to memorial sites, markings of Jewish homes, and even cases of extreme violence, RIAS said, noting that the group defines extreme violence as "physical attacks or attacks that may result in loss of life, as well as serious bodily injury, but also the mere attempt to commit such acts."

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday night to RIAS for comment.

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history, killing 1,200 people in the Middle Eastern country. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Associated Press, as more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed since the violence broke out, officials from the health ministry in Gaza said.

In addition to the people killed in the militant group's initial attack, Hamas took more than 200 hostages, including numerous children. Last week, Israeli and Hamas forces engaged in a four-day ceasefire, during which it was agreed that 50 hostages would be released by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

The war has ignited tensions and left Muslim and Jewish families across the world to face the fallout.

RIAS said there has been a "sharp increase in the number of antisemitic incidents since October 7" and the worrisome trend "has remained at a high level since then."

While Germany's government has been a vocal supporter of Israel, there have been reports of violence at several protests in addition to the uptick in targeted attacks, in Berlin especially.

Jews in the German capital reported antisemitic hostility when in public, such as in grocery stores, at work and on public transportation, according to the report.

RIAS noted that one of the most extreme incidents was the firebombing of a synagogue in Berlin October 18.

RIAS also noted in the study that there has been a rise in antisemitic and anti-Israeli propaganda at German universities, with a total of 37 incidents reported. In some cases, Jewish students said classmates had blamed them for the decisions and actions of the Israeli government. Some of the students said they stopped attending classes over fears of being attacked.