Nearly half of young Jews in Europe avoid wearing Jewish items, EU poll finds

Nearly half of young Jews living in Europe say they avoid wearing Jewish items in public due to concerns about their safety, a new EU report has found.

The report published today details growing security concerns among 16 to 34 year-olds amid reports of rising antisemitism.

It is based on a survey of over 2,700 young Jews living in Europe carried out last year across 12 member states, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Hungary.

Four in five of those polled said that antisemitism has increased in their countries over the last five years. Another 41 percent said they had considered emigrating because they did not feel safe.

Meanwhile under half of respondents (48 percent) said they felt adequately protected by their governments, with only 17 percent saying their countries combat Jew-hate effectively.

Another 85 percent said they had been accused or blamed for actions by the Israeli government “at least occasionally.”

But, despite growing concerns, another 81 percent declared the strength of their Jewish identity as “high”.

“Antisemitism in Europe remains a stubborn stain that refuses to go away,” said Michael O’Flaherty, from the Fundamental Rights Agency, which commissioned the report.

“We owe it to all Jews, and particularly future generations, to erase this blot once and for all through coordinated action at the EU and national level working hand-in-hand with Jewish communities,” he said.

EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová added:  “I am saddened that they fear for their security in Europe, do not dare to wear a kippah and some even consider emigrating.

“We need to act fast to combat antisemitism in Europe and join our efforts to keep our youth safe. We want young Jewish people to grow up in Europe feeling they fully belong here. Antisemitism is a threat to our European values.”