Authorities in Antwerp have recorded 90 instances of antisemitism since the attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October.
From 7 to 10 October alone, 41 incident reports were filed, according to Antwerp Mayor, Bart De Wever.
UNIA, a governmental agency combating discrimination, saw a significant increase in incident reports related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, receiving 30 such reports in October, a sharp increase on a monthly average of 4 to 5 reports in 2022.
"Whenever conflict arises, people become worried, so the incident report numbers increase," the former Federal Centre for Equal Opportunities explained.
In October, UNIA received approximately 20 reports from Dutch-speaking areas and around 10 from French-speaking ones. The agency is currently analysing the cases, stating that "it is still too early to draw conclusions."
"We investigate each case thoroughly and, if necessary, we liaise with the relevant prosecutors," UNIA added.
Many of the reports were allegedly linked to Antwerp Mayor, Bart De Wever's pro-Israel stance, and the subsequent response, which included pro-Palestinian or antisemitic statements during protests and physical attacks on individuals in Ypres.
UNIA will present its report on antisemitism at the end of January. Finalised in early October, there is a possibility it may include an additional chapter or appendix analysing the most recent incident reports.
