The 2024 Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom found a continued global increase in anti-Semitism.
Holocaust denial and glorification remained troubling themes, and opposition to Israeli policy at times was used to promote or justify blatant anti-Semitism. When political leaders condoned anti-Semitism, it set the tone for its persistence and growth in countries around the world. Of great concern were expressions of anti-Semitism by government officials, religious leaders, and the media, particularly in Russia, Europe, Egypt, and Algeria.
At times, such statements led to desecration and violence:
- In Russia, the report notes a rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric by Russian government officials since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, Russian officials did not adequately address increasing domestic anti-Semitism after several concerning incidents, including a mob attack at a Dagestan airport targeting “refugees from Israel.” High-ranking Russian officials and state media also engaged in Holocaust distortion and anti-Semitism to justify the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. President Putin referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “disgrace to the Jewish people” and accused the West of putting an “ethnic Jew” in charge to cover up Ukraine’s “anti-human nature.”
- In Europe, there was a surge of anti-Semitism, including a reported quadrupling of anti-Semitic acts in France. Following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, there were instances of anti-Semitism in various European countries. For example, in France, a leader of the New Anticapitalist Party falsely claimed there was no evidence that six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.
- In Egypt, the conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel contributed to a rise in anti-Jewish sentiment. In October 2023, street protesters in Cairo reportedly chanted a slogan evoking a historical massacre of Jews, and in December, Cairo’s Jewish community canceled public Hanukkah celebrations due to security concerns. Despite this, the dwindling Jewish community had earlier reported adequate protection by state security forces.
- In Algeria, government ministers and largely state-run media promoted anti-Semitic tropes after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, using defamatory and false language to describe Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocidal Zionist aggression.” With no operational synagogue left in Algeria, ritual observance for the roughly 200 practicing members of its Jewish community remains challenging.
The USCIRF report highlights that Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain traveled to Israel and the West Bank to advance religious freedom and combat religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism.
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism Deborah E. Lipstadt also traveled to Israel twice and addressed the Forum of Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Anti-semitism at the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The Office of the Special Envoy also released a report on policies, programs, and actions across the globe to combat anti-Semitism.
The U.S. government cosponsored a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on freedom of religion or belief and held a side event on combating anti-Semitism worldwide.
The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), for which the U.S. State Department serves as the Secretariat, also made multicountry statements, including combating anti-Semitism.
Archived Reports
Sources: “Annual Reports,” USCIRF.