Antisemitic acts have risen sharply in Belgium since the Israel-Hamas war began

BRUSSELS (AP) — Antisemitism is on the rise in Belgium since the Hamas attack against Israel that triggered a war in Gaza. According to the latest figures released Thursday by an independent body fighting discrimination, 91 reports related to the Israel-Hamas conflict were received between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7 last year, compared to 57 reports for the whole of 2022. Most of the reports were remarks or acts considered as antisemitic, including cases of Holocaust denial. In 66 cases, a clear reference was made to the Jewish origin of the person or people targeted. Belgium has the largest Hasidic Jewish population in Europe, mainly in Antwerp.