In the wake of the heightened Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Belgium's inter-federal Equal Opportunities Centre, Unia, has documented a concerning surge in reported antisemitic incidents.

Of the reported cases, 85% involve hate messages and hate crimes, signaling a disturbing trend, with discrimination also witnessing an uptick. In response, Unia has put forth 10 policy recommendations to address this alarming rise.

One of Unia's key proposals is the establishment of a Monitoring Unit, designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among representatives from the Jewish community, government entities, and other stakeholders committed to combating antisemitism. Unia aims to build on this mechanism, initially instituted in 2004 and revamped in 2022, citing deficiencies in the current processes of police registration and reporting.

Additionally, Unia emphasizes the need for increased efforts in research and education. Over the past five years, 20% of reported antisemitism cases involved Holocaust denial. Unia underscores the importance of tackling this issue at its roots, advocating for educational reforms. In a 2022 report by the European Network Against Anti-Semitism, education ranked as the worst domain for Belgium. Unia recommends retraining teachers to address all forms of racism, racial discrimination, intolerance, and bullying within school environments.

Furthermore, Unia urges the inclusion of antisemitism in existing federal, Brussels, and French-language action plans against racism. The organization contends that antisemitism is a distinct form of racism with unique characteristics, necessitating its explicit inclusion in anti-racism initiatives.

Between October 7, marking the onset of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and December 7, Unia recorded 91 reports directly linked to the conflict. This is a stark increase compared to the average of four to five monthly reports of antisemitism in 2022. Historical parallels were drawn to late 2008 and early 2009 when the Israeli army conducted Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

Notably, protests in Antwerp and Brussels during this period featured individuals responsible for propagating antisemitic slogans specifically targeting the Jewish community in Belgium. The recommendations put forth by Unia aim to address and curb the growing antisemitic sentiment and incidents within the country. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.