Nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in French speaking areas of Switzerland in 2024, according to a new report by the Intercommunity Coordination against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD).
By Rachel Avraham
Nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in French speaking areas of Switzerland in 2024, according to a new report by the Intercommunity Coordination against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD), the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, this represents a 90 percent increase in the level of antisemitism since 2023.
The CICAD reported an “alarming increase” in the number of antisemitic acts directly targeting Jewish students, the Jerusalem Post stressed. According to the report, there was a notable increase in the number of incidents involving hate speech, acts of intimidation, and aggression targeting Jewish students. The Jerusalem Post noted that reported cases included students being told, “Go back to Auschwitz” and “You’re bad at school because you’re Jewish.”
JNS reported that Nazi salutes proliferate in playgrounds, Jewish pupils are subjected to insults and violence and teachers compare Jews to Nazis in class. “This trivialization of hatred jeopardizes the fundamental values of respect that should prevail in schools,” said CICAD.
Posters with the slogan “Intifada jusqu’à la victoire” (Intifada until victory) were hung up around the University of Geneva campus beginning on October 16, 2023, not even two weeks after the October 7 attacks, the Jerusalem Post stressed, noting that similar slogans have appeared across other universities in the French-speaking areas of Switzerland.
According to the World Jewish Congress, CICAD has recorded 42 physical assaults, some of which took place in schools, which have become the “new hotbeds of hatred”. “A climate of harassment, hatred, and intimidation towards Jewish students is gradually taking hold,” the organization states in a press release. It is particularly concerned about increasingly direct and threatening antisemitic acts.
In public spaces, the Jerusalem Post noted widespread reports of antisemitic graffiti, posters, and symbols were made, especially in the cities of Geneva and Lausanne. Inscriptions such as “Death to Jews” were found in several city centers and green spaces, the Jerusalem Post added.
Ralph Friedländer, President of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, told the World Jewish Congress that the war in Gaza was the main trigger for the rise in antisemitism. However, he acknowledged that other factors have also played a role. “Immediately after 7 October, even before the Israeli military intervention, there was a terrible increase in antisemitic acts, particularly towards the end of 2023,” he highlighted.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that “Switzerland is still considered relatively safe compared to the rest of Europe”. Jewish communities in Switzerland are, in fact, welcoming an increasing number of new members, particularly from France.
Friedländer also expressed concern over antisemitism in schools, calling it a serious issue. “This is why we are calling for a strong commitment from the state in this area. I welcome the recent statement by the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education, which today expressed its intention to actively combat antisemitism and racism in schools,” he added.
According to him, this is a matter for society as a whole: “It is not just for Jews in Switzerland to deal with, but for the entire society to take action and engage.”
“We must be very vigilant about what we allow under the guise of freedom of expression and what we permit on our territory. Personally, I believe that respect and tolerance are values we must absolutely uphold. I do not want people in Geneva or Switzerland to be afraid because of their religious affiliation, whether they are Jewish, Muslim, or from another background. That is something we must not tolerate,” denounced Nathalie Fontanet, President of the Geneva State Council.
She stressed that it is alarming to think that some people do not feel safe in a democratic country, particularly in a canton committed to human rights and the fight against discrimination. She added that the State Council firmly condemns these acts and encourages victims to file complaints: “Because these are acts and statements that are not permitted by law and are punishable.”
