WINNIPEG – Antisemitism is no longer a distant worry; it is an urgent reality. Recent verified incidents across multiple countries validate the blunt warning posed by Jewish Zionist commentator Hillel Fuld: โIt wonโt happen here? It already is.โ
In Europe, alarming trends signal entrenched hostility toward Jews. France recorded over 1,570 antisemitic incidents in 2024, nearly four times as many as in 2022. Graffiti praising Hitler and other violent slogans defaced Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses in January 2025. In Berlin, a tourist was stabbed at the Holocaust memorial in February by an assailant reportedly motivated by antisemitism.
In Italy, a Jewish father and his son were attacked by a mob at a service station near Milan after clerical harassment, prompting police investigations. And in Venice, an American Jewish couple was harassed while visibly identifiable as Jews, spurring a criminal probe.
The rising tide extends across the Atlantic. In the United States, the Department of Education launched an investigation into Baltimore schools following allegations of antisemitic harassment involving Nazi salutes by a teacher. Separately, the Department of Justice found George Washington University in violation of federal civil rights law for failing to address antisemitism on campus, citing a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students.
Globally, antisemitism is reaching unprecedented levels. The Combat Antisemitism Movement documented over 6,300 antisemitic incidents in 2024, a staggering 108% rise compared to the previous year. European Union surveys echo this trend: more than 75% of European Jews report hiding their identity or avoiding Jewish sites due to fear, and harassment, both online and offline, has surged sharply.
College campuses are not immune. In the 2024โ25 academic year, Hillel International tracked 2,334 antisemitic incidents, the highest tally since reporting began. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League found that nearly half of adults globally hold antisemitic views.
These facts underscore the urgency behind Hillel Fuldโs message to diaspora Jews: โIf youโre waiting for Jews to be rounded up, itโs already happening.โ His call to wake up resonates against verified violence, vandalism, and institutional failures.
Jewish and Zionist communities must respond with resilience. Building awareness, strengthening defenses, and affirming Jewish identity are no longer choices; they are imperatives. The normalization of antisemitism in public, political, and academic spaces demands a united response grounded in solidarity and truth.
This article is based on verified information from Reuters, ADL, Combat Antisemitism Movement, Hillel International, and Community Security Trust (CST).