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On the eve of 75th anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogrom on November 9, fear of anti-Semitism is still prevalent in Europe. This is one of the main findings of a survey of the daily lives of Jews in Europe conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, which collated data from close to 6,000 respondents living in eight countries that account for 90 per cent of Europe’s Jewish population (Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom).
In its report on the conclusions of the survey, Der Spiegel Online remarks on the extent to which fear weighs Jewish people’s lives —
Three quarters of respondents have noticed an increase in hostility to Jews in their countries in the last five years [...] One quarter say they have been subjected to anti-Semitic abuse, and 4 per cent have been exposed to physical violence. One in ten [...] say they have been the victim of discrimination at work, or while applying for jobs.
Jews in Germany are the most worried, points out Spiegel Online, which notes that 25 per cent have thought of leaving the country in the last five years because they do not feel safe. It is a feeling of insecurity “caused by conflict in the Middle East,” notes the news website, which adds that "49 per cent of respondents have been confronted with the accusation that Israelis behave ‘like Nazis’ towards the Palestinians."
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