The Jewish community in Brazil has had to reinforce security since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7. The reason is the 961.36% increase in reports of prejudice, hostility and discrimination against Jews last month, compared to the same month in 2022.
“Obviously, security was reinforced in schools, in synagogues, in community activities, because we have to take precautions. Fortunately, here in the State of São Paulo, the secretary of security, the vice-governor, these people, helped us to carry out this reinforcement, very concerned about the safety of the population. Because the fact that I and the entire community profess the Jewish religion does not make us better or worse than anyone else. We respect other religions, we respect other ethnicities. And what we ask for is respect”, said the vice-president of the Brazilian Israeli Confederation (Conib), Daniel Bialski.
Data from Conib and the Israeli Federation of the State of São Paulo (FISESP), released this Thursday (9), would, according to the Israeli community in the country, be a reflection of the conflict in the Middle East, despite the geographical distance.
“We cannot imagine a scenario in which minorities are discriminated against, in which hate speech is present and in which violent demonstrations express more than the sense of convergence and understanding”, stated the president of Conib, Claudio Lottenberg.
Last month, 467 complaints were registered with the Conib/FISESP Department of Community Security, compared to 44 in October 2022. The period coincides with the first Hamas attacks on Israel, on October 7. And the situation could be even worse, since Conib believes that there is underreporting in the numbers.
The majority of discriminatory actions took place through social networks. Therefore, Conib has demanded preventive measures from platforms.
“We ask that digital platforms, where people spread this hatred, regulate this type of manifestation more strictly, precisely so that we can, in addition to punishing these people, educate other people. Some people say some phrases, linking Israel, the Jews, to Nazism, thinking that this is not anti-Semitism, but this is anti-Semitism”, said Bialski.
According to the survey, children, young people, men and women of all ages suffered some type of violence because they were Jews. If the year to date is considered, from January to October, the increase is 133.6%, with 876 complaints in the first ten months of 2023.
“For now, here, at least in Brazil, thank God, only verbal complaints. Reports on social media. Still no reports of physical assault. But this is what we want to avoid: that it reaches this point of physical aggression”, explained the president of the Israeli Federation of the State of São Paulo, Marcos Knobel.
International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism
The study was presented this Thursday (9), International Day to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism, at events in São Paulo and four other capitals in the country – Brasília, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador.
On this date in 1938, Nazi troops destroyed Jewish homes and businesses, burned synagogues in several German cities and dozens of Jews were killed. The episode came to be known as the Night of Broken Glass.
This Tuesday (7), the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, sanctioned the bill that places the International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism on the city’s official calendar.
See also – PF investigates whether prisoner received money from Hezbollah to plan attacks
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
