In the second year of Corona, the number of antisemitic incidents increased sharply, especially on the Internet.
This was reported by the Swiss Federation of Israelite Communities (SIG) and the Foundation against Racism and Antisemitism (GRA) in their latest report. The incidents range from physical assaults such as the vandal files on synagogues in western Switzerland to conspiracy theories about Corona.
The rise in antisemitism is most evident in the online world. The antisemitism report lists over 800 antisemitic incidents on Internet platforms for the past year. Compared to the previous year, this is an increase of two thirds. The numbers from French-speaking Switzerland are still missing in these statistics.
Antisemitic conspiracy theories can be found primarily on social media. In many cases on Telegram, but other platforms are also affected. Jews there are often held responsible for Corona and Corona measures.
“Antisemitism on the internet has worried us for years, especially the antisemitic conspiracy theories. During the pandemic, they got really explosive again,” says Kreutner.
The Swiss Federation of Israelite Communities is demanding that social media operators take more committed action against hate speech on their platforms. But the federal government must also get more involved, especially in prevention work.
