A recent survey by the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) reveals that 70% of Jews in Belgium occasionally hide their identity because they feel

unsafe, with over half avoiding wearing Jewish symbols altogether.

The survey, conducted in the first half of last year and involving nearly 8,000 respondents (688 from Belgium) across 13 European countries, highlights the widespread nature of anti-Semitism. This data was collected before the Hamas attacks on Israel in October and Israel's subsequent military actions in Gaza, though 12 Jewish organizations were surveyed earlier this year.

"Jews continue to face widespread anti-Semitism," stated the FRA, noting that 84% of Belgian Jews consider anti-Semitism a major problem in their lives. Alarmingly, 97% reported experiencing anti-Jewish hatred in their daily lives during the 12 months preceding the survey.

The situation in Belgium is notably worse than the European average. One in three Belgian Jews faces discrimination due to their identity, compared to one in five across the 13 surveyed countries. Additionally, 40% of Belgian Jews avoid Jewish events due to insecurity, and 54% steer clear of certain places—the highest percentage among all surveyed countries.

Other concerning statistics include the 49% of Belgian Jews who faced harassment in the year before the survey (the European average is 37%) and the 9% who were physically attacked in the past five years (compared to 5% across the EU).

Belgian Jews also express little confidence in the authorities' efforts to combat anti-Semitism, with only 10% believing the authorities are effective in this regard, compared to an average of 18% across the 13 surveyed countries. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.