By: Tali Faerman
October 7 marked the deadliest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Ever since, levels of antisemitism have surged. In 2024, there was a 340 percent increase in global antisemitic incidents compared to 2022. According to a survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, almost half of the adult population holds antisemitic views. In America, college students feel unsafe on their campuses. In Europe, soldiers are once again necessary to protect Jewish schools and synagogues. This is a matter that involves everyone, not just the Jewish people, and requires a collective effort to achieve its eradication. As Deborah E. Lipstadt, Ph.D., the former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, stated, “Antisemitism is not solely a threat to the welfare of Jews—it is a multifaceted and multilayered threat to democracy, the rule of law, and international stability.” This year marks three years since the October 7 massacre, and this article analyzes the response and recent developments in the fight against antisemitism in the U.S. and the E.U.
On July 17, 2024, the launch of the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, the “first-ever broadly defined, global framework on countering antisemitism,” demonstrated a prominent initiative at the international level. The Guidelines were introduced in Buenos Aires, Argentina, honoring the 30th anniversary of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) bombing. The document was signed by thirty countries, as well as the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. As of 2025, the number of endorsers has increased to almost 50 countries and international bodies. The Guidelines provide nations with best practices to follow, including education, data collection, and strategies to combat antisemitism online. Significantly, the Guidelines endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and emphasize the importance of education, including Holocaust commemoration, in combating antisemitism.
Prior to the launch of the Guidelines, in 2023, the United States introduced the first National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The Strategy consists of four pillars focusing on raising awareness through education, encouraging individuals to speak out against antisemitic incidents, increasing accountability, and strengthening support across communities. The National Strategy delineates a “whole-of-society approach,” which includes over 100 actions for governments at all levels, teachers, companies, and others. Working in conjunction, the Guidelines and the National Strategy urge society to collaborate and use their voices to “denounce antisemitism swiftly, clearly, and unequivocally.”
Consistent with the National Strategy, on January 29, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13899, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.” The Order centers on combating the effects of the October 7 terrorist attacks on college campuses. In line with the Order’s policy “to combat anti-Semitism vigorously, using all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence,” the Department of Justice formed the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. The Task Force’s priority is to “eradicate antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses,” which has led to numerous investigations of universities and the cutting of institutional funding.
Most recently, in March of 2026, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sued Harvard University for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging that the university failed to protect its Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination based on race and national origin. The Justice Department alleges that Harvard has been indifferent to on-campus hostility and failed to enforce its rules regarding students who have harassed Jewish and Israeli students. Similarly, in February 2026, the Justice Department filed suit against the University of California, alleging that the university violated Title VII by “engaging in a hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff.” The lawsuit aims to foster a safe environment for all students and staff at UCLA.
In the European Union, the European Commission launched the first E.U. Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in 2021. The Strategy contains the Commission’s policy framework for the years 2021 to 2030, focused on preventing and combating antisemitism, protecting the Jewish people, and promoting education and Holocaust remembrance. In 2024, the E.U. Commission released the Strategy’s first progress report, noting that 90 initiatives have been implemented since its introduction. For instance, 23 Member States have adopted national strategies to combat antisemitism, and 20 Member States have appointed either a special envoy or national coordinator for the purpose of combating antisemitism. Nevertheless, since the adoption of the Strategy in 2021, security in the E.U. has worsened as a result of antisemitism. In 2025, 100 European rabbis sent a letter to E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressing their concern. In their letter, they urged increased security in Jewish synagogues and neighborhoods, the implementation of an online reporting method to track antisemitic incidents, as well as specialized training for police to properly manage antisemitic attacks and perpetrators.
Recently, in January of 2026, the Commission held its eighth meeting of the “Working Group on the Implementation of the E.U. Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life.” The host, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, emphasized the growing threat of antisemitism and how it became normalized. Several plans of action were covered in the meeting, including establishing ESHEM (European Sites of Holocaust Memory), a network focused on Holocaust remembrance; launching an E.U. network focused on combating online antisemitism; and implementing more nation-specific initiatives, such as Denmark, Austria, and Italy’s plans to institute strategies like online measures and training. Regarding the normalization of antisemitism on college campuses, the Commission emphasized the need for antisemitism coordinators and legislation.
The policies introduced by the U.S. and Europe to help combat antisemitism are significant and must be recognized. Nevertheless, as Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the chairman of the European Jewish Association, noted, “any strategy must ultimately pass a ‘real world’ test.” In the past couple of months, there has been a rise in antisemitism around the world, reflected in the increase in antisemitic incidents. March 2026 has particularly seen a surge in antisemitic violence. This month in Europe there was an explosion outside a synagogue in Liège, Belgium; a synagogue was set on fire in Rotterdam, Netherlands; there was an explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam; and the vehicles of “Hatzalah Northwest,” a Jewish emergency medical organization, were set on fire in London. In the U.S., a truck containing fireworks and flammable liquid drove into the doors of Temple Israel, a synagogue and school in Michigan, where the school’s security guard was able to stop the attacker, preventing a tragedy. These attacks reflect “a broader global trend of intensifying threats against Jewish and Israeli targets abroad.” They are a reminder of the persistent threat of antisemitism and the need to reassess current strategies, develop new ones, and implement necessary changes. These measures include instituting stronger security measures in Jewish synagogues, schools, and communities; enhancing the monitoring of antisemitism online; continuing to raise awareness through education and Holocaust commemoration; and encouraging collaboration across society. It is important to use the E.U. and U.S. frameworks as guidelines and build on their initiatives, while recognizing the severity of rising antisemitism, in order to ensure the protection of the Jewish people and democratic values.
