The Czech Republic, a close ally of Israel and one of the few European countries that consistently support it in U.N. votes, has also seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’ October 7 terror attack. The country’s Jewish community reported the spike Friday, while noting that the Czech Republic remains a safe place for Jews.
The annual report by the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, the main umbrella organization representing Czech Jews, found 4,694 antisemitic incidents in 2024, up from 4,328 in 2023 — an 8.5 percent increase. After the Hamas attack, reports of antisemitic incidents jumped by 90 percent. In other words, until Oct. 7, only a small number of incidents targeting Jews had been recorded.
Petr Papoušek, head of the federation, said his country is not an exception in what he called “a global explosive wave of antisemitism which erupted immediately after the Hamas attack.”
He said hatred of Jews — especially through the demonization of the State of Israel — had become socially acceptable and dominated the public sphere. The incidents, he added, revealed an “unprecedented synergy” among the far right, the far left, Islamism and disinformation networks. “The unifying element is hatred of Israel, which works with the motives, narratives, conspiracies and myths of traditional antisemitism,” he said.
According to the report, nearly 96 percent of cases occurred online, mostly on social media. But four physical assaults were recorded in 2024 — a record number, compared with zero in 2023. All were linked to the Middle East conflict. Authorities also logged 12 cases of vandalism at Jewish cemeteries, memorials and other sites — double the figure from the previous year.
In one case, five teenagers were arrested after attempting to set fire to a synagogue in Brno, the country’s second-largest city, in January 2024. Police said the group had been radicalized online by the Islamic State, and two were charged with terrorism offenses.
Incidents have continued this year, though no data have yet been published. In recent months, a Jewish souvenir and kosher food shop in Prague’s Vinohrady district was vandalized three times with blue graffiti, including phrases such as “fascists” and “Holocaust 2025.”
For years, the Czech Republic has been considered one of Israel’s strongest allies in Europe. More than a decade ago, it was the only European country to vote against the Palestinian bid for U.N. nonmember observer state status.
On Oct. 10, 2023, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský became the first foreign official to visit Israel in solidarity after the massacre in the south. He met, among others, the granddaughter of Yaffa Adar, who at the time was being held hostage in Gaza. Two weeks later, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala arrived in Israel, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said: “Hamas is our common enemy. We must ensure that it is isolated. And it is on EU terror list for years and now we must act.”