TAU: The Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2024

The Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2024, co-published by Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute, presents a sobering global assessment of anti-Semitic trends following October 7, 2023. While some countries like France, the UK, and Germany saw slight declines in incidents, others—most notably the U.S. and Australia—experienced sharp increases, particularly in cities with large Jewish populations. The report highlights alarming patterns such as the normalization of anti-Semitic politicians, lack of law enforcement accountability, Holocaust ignorance among youth, and the spread of Jew hatred online and in institutional settings. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive governmental, societal, and educational responses to address the deepening crisis.

The following is an executive summary of the report. For the full report, click here.

The report gathers data from various sources, including police departments, specialized agencies, Jewish communities, leaders, and media organizations. It presents a global overview of anti-Semitic incidents and includes studies and interviews, notes from the field, case studies, essays, and a roundtable discussion. Overall, the report indicates that levels of anti-Semitism remained alarmingly high in 2024 when compared to the period before October 7, 2023. The data shows decreased incidents compared to 2023 in some countries with significant Jewish populations, such as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. However, there was a moderate increase in incidents in several other countries, including the United States, and a steep, dramatic increase in manifestations of Jew hatred in Australia. New York and Chicago, cities with large Jewish populations in the U.S., saw a rise in anti-Semitic incidents. The report notes that antisemitic incidents peaked in the immediate aftermath of October 7 rather than later in the war in Gaza. The report suggests that anti-Semitism appeared most violent when Israel seemed most vulnerable.

Key areas of concern highlighted in the report include:

• Lack of Accountability: A study focusing on police departments in New York City, Chicago, Toronto, and London found that anti-Semites who assault Jews are only rarely held accountable for their crimes, with less than 10 percent of complaints resulting in arrests between 2021 and 2023 in some cities. The report emphasizes that determined policing and prosecutorial action are needed to combat anti-Semitism effectively.
• Normalization of Anti-Semitic Politicians: An alarming aspect discussed is the normalization of leaders who articulate antisemitic notions, explicitly or through dog whistling. The case of Remigijus Žemaitaitis in Lithuania is presented as an example of an individual who became a “kingmaker” after repeatedly using deplorable anti-Jewish statements and distorting the history of the Holocaust, demonstrating how democratic tools can be misused.
• Pervasive Online Anti-Semitism: Anti-Semitism, including Holocaust denial and distortion, is widespread online. The European Union’s Digital Services Act requires extensive online platforms to assess and mitigate the risks of disseminating anti-Semitic content.
• Insufficient Education on the Holocaust: Surveys and studies, including one on Dutch textbooks and history classes, indicate that school pupils know little about the Holocaust and WWII history, with history classes often marginalized and focusing less on factual context. High rates of Holocaust skepticism among young people are noted in Canada.
• Bias in University Campus Discourse: A study of student newspapers at elite U.S. universities found striking disparities in coverage of international conflicts, with significantly more attention given to the war in Gaza than situations in Ukraine, Sudan, or the persecution of Uyghurs. Editorials in these newspapers often focused exclusively on the Gaza conflict, criticizing university administrations’ responses to pro-Palestinian protests. Some editorials employed language suggesting discriminatory treatment in favor of pro-Israel interests and invoked classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories regarding influence over institutions.
• Institutionalized Anti-semitism in Pakistan: Anti-Semitism is deeply embedded in Pakistan’s political, religious, and educational institutions, often framed as anti-Zionism but extending to conspiracy theories and extremist rhetoric, even targeting political figures with baseless claims of being “Jewish agents.” The dissemination of fabricated texts like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is noted.
• Anti-Semitism in Hamas Ideology: An analysis of Yahya Sinwar’s novel The Thorn and the Carnation reveals a deep, vicious Jew-hatred that aligns with the operational aspects of the October 7 attack, emphasizing the need to address anti-Semitism in Arab societies for any future diplomatic process.

The report also details efforts to combat anti-Semitism, emphasizing the need for a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Anti-Semitism is highlighted as a critical first step to identify and combat the issue. The European Union has adopted national strategies and appointed envoys, utilizing regulations like the Digital Services Act to address online content. Canada has developed an approach focusing on education, post-secondary institutions, law enforcement, data collection, online harm, and government action, including releasing the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition and hosting forums. The Organization of American States is working to combat anti-Semitism through information and education and encouraging member states to adopt and implement the IHRA Definition. The importance of allyship and taking action against anti-Semitism, rather than being a bystander, is also stressed.

Finally, the report includes a roundtable discussion on Holocaust films, examining how cinema portrays the memory of the Shoah and the potential pitfalls of distortion or simplification in commercial productions.

Source: “Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2024,” Tel Aviv University, (April 21, 2025).