Largest Study to Date: Antisemitism has become a normalized part of the public digital discourse on Jews in Denmark

Largest Study to Date: Antisemitism has become a normalized part of the public, digital discourse on Jews in Denmark

A new, extensive study reveals that one in ten comments about Jews on Facebook is antisemitic. The study shows that prejudices, hatred, and conspiracy theories against Jews are not confined to extremist circles but have become a common part of the digital, public conversation.

 

-The study demonstrates that the level of antisemitism is high – even before the current crisis. It not only reveals a concerning amount of antisemitism but also shows how and where it manifests, Emma Pretzmann, Director of the Jewish Information Center, says.

Established through collaboration between the Jewish Society and the Municipality of Copenhagen after the 2015 synagogue attack, the center aims to prevent antisemitism through education and information about Jewish culture and history.

In 2022, the center initiated #AMOS – the Alliance Against Online Antisemitism, in partnership with the NGO Nordic Safe Cities. The initiative aims to investigate antisemitism on social media and develop preventive measures and educational materials for the education sector.

As part of #AMOS, the parties conducted the largest quantitative study of Danish antisemitism on Facebook. The study is based on 45 million comments from Danish media and politicians’ websites and concluded in spring 2023, before the October 7^th attack by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent war.

Out of 21,388 comments mentioning the Jewish people and/or community, 2,063 comments were antisemitic – approximately one in ten comments.

Antisemitism occurs on regular pages where the majority of Danes interact and debate, not just in extremist forums.

-Based on the study, the Jewish Information Center now has the opportunity to target information and education efforts. Therefore, we hope to have the opportunity to spread our preventive information work throughout the country in the coming years, Emma Pretzmann says.

Antisemitism flourishes in the public Danish debate on Facebook

The specific digital study was conducted by the analytics companies Common Consultancy and Analyse & Tal.

Data collection took place from May 25^th 2021 – May 25^th 2023, with 45 million comments gathered from Danish media’s Facebook pages and members of the Parliament and political parties’ Facebook pages (a total of 1195 pages).

Nanna Amer, project manager of #AMOS, believes the analysis shows that antisemitism exists as a normalized part of the broad public digital discourse in Denmark outside crisis periods like the current one.

-The study reveals the volume over the last two years and shows a high level of antisemitism in the public digital discourse when there is no war in the Middle East, she says.

Antisemitism appears in conversations on a broad range of topics

Nanna Amer explains that the study also shows the varied nature of Danish antisemitism in terms of content, expression, and severity.

Antisemitism includes demonization and hatred towards Jews, as well as prejudices based on well-known antisemitic myths, stereotypes, and Holocaust denial, Nanna Amer continues. They are expressed through humour, condescending comments, conspiracy theories, or calls for violence and adapt to the context of the specific agenda and discussion:

It was the Jews who killed Jesus and those behind Bolshevism; likewise, they’re behind multiculturalism in Europe, reads one of the many Facebook comments from the study.

The study also shows that antisemitic comments occur in all types of conversations and debates where Jews are mentioned, Nanna Amer explains. It is not limited to specific topics, but the study shows that especially five topics spark heated debates: antisemitism, Covid-19, male circumcision, the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the war in Ukraine.

Jew clown Zelensky fights for the USA and Israel to the last Ukrainian, reads a Facebook comment from a debate about the war in Ukraine.

Jeppe Albers: – We must all take responsibility

At Nordic Safe Cities, which works to create safe Nordic democracies and prevent extremism and polarization, the results of the analysis confirm suspicions about the derogatory treatment of Jews in our digital, public sphere.

The extent of antisemitism requires all actors to work better together to prevent the problem and move prevention onto social media, Jeppe Albers, director of Nordic Safe Cities, says.

-Together, we must take responsibility to combat hatred against Jews, reduce polarization between population groups, and create community across minorities, he says and continues.

-The study should be used to focus on how we can bring the prevention of antisemitism into the digital age across organizations, authorities, schools, and companies. With the release of the analysis, the #AMOS initiative calls for broad collaboration to address the challenge.

Jens-Kristian Lütken, mayor of employment and integration in Copenhagen agrees with Jeppe Albers.

Read the full report by clicking here (in Danish)

 

If you are interested in an interview with one or more of the parties involved or need more info about #AMOS or the digital study, please contact Morten Frølich, Head of Communications, Nordic Safe Cities, at:

Tel: +45 22 45 04 12

E-mail: morten@nordicsafecities.org