Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FJC) recorded 2 277 antisemitic incidents in 2022. The constant trend of leapfrog growth of antisemitic manifestations which could be clearly seen in the previous periods monitored, thus continued also last year. Compared to year 2021, in which 1,128 antisemitic incidents were recorded, this trend can be labelled as dramatic.
In accordance with the trends of the past few years, 97 % of all manifestations of antisemitism originated in the virtual environment. Apart from articles, graphic materials, anonymous comments and discussion posts, it concerned especially social networks, where over 74% of all online incidents were recorded. In the long‐term perspective, it is the social media networks which are the dominant host platform of antisemitism and hatred production and dissemination in general, and to a significant extent contribute to the growing polarisation in society. Two cases of vandalism on Jewish property correspond to previous years. On the contrary, the 10 recorded cases of threatening, insults or harassment represent a double increase compared to 2021. But, in this context, we shall recall again that victims or witnesses of manifestations of prejudicial hatred motivated by antisemitism often decide not to report these acts to relevant authorities, or for various reasons do not wish to give the details of their negative experience. Therefore, although the FJC has analysed only a few violent acts targeted against the Jews, it is likely that the actual number of similar incidents is annually much higher.
The content of the recorded antisemitic incidents has not gone through any essential change in 2022 as compared to the preceding years. Manifestations of prejudicial hatred always correlate with the general atmosphere in society, which is shaped by local events as well as global geopolitical and economic factors. Last year, the content, form and amount of antisemitic narratives was thus influenced beside the fading away covid‐19 pandemic by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the related economic, energetic and raw materials’ crisis, and last but not least by the persisting tension in the Middle‐East in the context of the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict.
From the analysis of the attacks of motivated prejudicial hatred recorded so far, it clearly follows that the internet and virtual communication platforms in particular play the dominant role in the radicalisation process of individuals and groups, and at the same time facilitate the planning and preparation of violent crimes. This observation was confirmed by an attack with a firearm which took place in the proximity of Tepláreň bar in Bratislava on October 12, 2022, and which had two victims. In his own words, the perpetrator had prepared for the act systematically and for a long time and had shared a great amount of hate and conspiration comments on social networks. Although no comparable incident was recorded in CR in 2022, the global context of persisting concerns about radicalisation in the online environment remains high on the agenda.
More than one third of the total number of incidents, which the FJC analysed in 2022, originated in the ideological positions of the far right. In the second third of antisemitic incidents, the ideological background could not be clearly determined because the authors or disseminators of these incidents do not declare any extreme political attitudes. But from the ideological point of view, the growth of the total volume of recorded data most clearly showed in the case of the disinformation platforms. Despite the fact that the previous four periods monitored saw a steady increase in this area, in 2022, an over 200% leapfrog increase was documented. While in 2021, 14.4 % of all registered incidents originated from the disinformation platforms, in 2022, these platforms published 24.5 % of all antisemitic incidents documented. Due to the increasing disinformation media activity and popularity and to massive acceleration of conspiracy content dissemination, it is not a surprising, but an extremely worrying finding. Disinformation movements contribute to society polarisation and have the potential to act and destroy the fundamental democratic constitutional principles.
Despite the severity of some conclusions, we can, again, affirm that the Czech Republic is a safe country for the Jewish community. Manifestations of antisemitism ventilated in the internet environment set a trend in the long‐term and on the global scale, though, which definitely deserves increased attention.
The Annual Report is published on website of FJC (http://www.fzo.cz) in Czech and English. On this website incidents with antisemitic context can be reported via dedicated form.
The Annual Report on Manifestations of Antisemitism in the Czech Republic in 2022 was published by Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic as of the results of the MANTIC project which is co-financed by the European Union via CERV programme.
Prague, June 14, 2023
Annual Report on Manifestations of Antisemitism in the Czech Republic 2022
