Despite Gaza ceasefire, antisemitism rates higher in several countries, TAU report says

Coverage Comparison

A report by Tel Aviv University's Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and The Irwin Cotler Institute, published ahead of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 14, found that antisemitism increased in several countries in 2025 despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by the United States in the fourth quarter of the year. The findings, reported by Deutsche Welle and The Jerusalem Post, show a reversal of a decline seen in 2024.

The report, based on data from local organizations, law enforcement agencies, and Jewish communities, documented that Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, Belgium, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria all saw increased levels of antisemitic incidents in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Key Claims

Record murder toll in antisemitic violence: According to Deutsche Welle, 20 Jews were murdered in four separate attacks in Western countries in 2025, the highest number in more than three decades. The deadliest was a shooting at a Jewish community Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach, Australia, on December 14, which killed 15 people and injured dozens more.

Increase in incidents despite ceasefire: Both outlets reported that antisemitic incidents rose in 2025 even after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. The Jerusalem Post noted that some countries, including the UK and Australia, recorded more antisemitic incidents from October to December 2025 than in the same period the previous year.

Post-ceasefire hostility: The Jerusalem Post, citing the report's editor-in-chief, Prof. Uriya Shavit, said that even in countries where there was a decline in 2025 compared to 2024, the post-ceasefire landscape appeared "more hostile to Jews" than in the years before Hamas's October 7 attack. Shavit was quoted as saying, "The data raise concern that a high level of antisemitic incidents is becoming a normalized reality."

Country-specific trends: The report noted that Australia recorded 1,750 antisemitic incidents in 2025, up slightly from 1,727 in 2024 and sharply higher than 472 in 2022. Canada, the UK, and Belgium also showed increases, per Deutsche Welle. Conversely, The Jerusalem Post reported that France, Argentina, and other countries had fewer incidents in 2025 than in 2024, and New York City saw a year-on-year decline but a rise in the post-ceasefire period.

US political discourse: Deutsche Welle highlighted the report's concern over the "normalization of antisemitic rhetoric in American political discourse" in the United States, singling out President Donald Trump's connections to "deep-seated, loathsome antisemites within his camp" and his inflammatory comments toward geopolitical allies.

Perspectives

The report's authors frame the rise as a worrying trend that follows an initial spike after the October 7, 2023 attack and Israel's subsequent military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Shavit's comments suggest that the expected decline in antisemitism after the ceasefire has not materialized, indicating a structural normalization of hostility rather than a temporary reaction to specific events.

Deutsche Welle's coverage emphasizes the record number of murders and the severity of physical violence, highlighting the Bondi Beach attack as a watershed event. The Jerusalem Post, with its Israel-centric perspective, focuses on the broader geopolitical context and the failure of the ceasefire to ease anti-Jewish sentiment, quoting experts on the dangers of indifference to smaller incidents.

Divergences between the two outlets include the level of detail on individual countries and the emphasis on political factors, with Deutsche Welle dedicating more space to US political discourse and The Jerusalem Post providing more granular data on regional variations.

Conclusion

While the report's findings are based on data from multiple sources and are broadly consistent across the two outlets covering the story, some specific claims—such as the exact number of murders and the characterization of post-ceasefire trends—are derived from a single outlet and have not been independently verified. The report itself, however, provides a comprehensive data set that underscores the persistence of antisemitism in Western countries despite diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East.