UN Watch on Global Antisemitism Rise

The Rise in Antisemitism in the World

“Antisemitism around the world has been on the rise for several years.”

United Nations Watch (UN Watch), A/HRC/40/NGO/220 (2019)

“Our report’s findings are… clear: key UN agencies, officials and experts are turning a blind eye to escalating antisemitism worldwide.”

UN Watch, “Report: UN Ignored Antisemitism for Decade” (2018)

UN Watch on Actual Global Antisemitism

UN Watch filed a statement to the United Nations (UN), A/HRC/40/NGO/220, in February 2019. They told the Human Rights Council that antisemitism rates had been rising for years. They cited Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) figures showing a 37% increase between 2016 and 2017.

Another UN Watch submission to the UN, A/HRC/42/NGO/151, in September 2019, reported on the rise in antisemitism. It is based on data from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and Anti-Defamation League (AdL).

These echoed the warning of the UN Secretary-General. Their report, “The United Nations and Antisemitism: 2008–2017 — Report Card,” documented a decade-long global escalation of antisemitic attacks. They urged better responsiveness. More on this later.

Some Findings for Contextualization Elsewhere

UN Watch reports increased antisemitism globally. The AdL in the United States counted 9,354 antisemitic incidents in 2024. This amounts to a new record. U.S. officials reported 11,679 hate-crime incidents in 2024 (DOJ portal)T the FBI’s comparable-agency dataset shows 10,873. A methodological difference with the same corroborated trend.

Even among Jews in some countries, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency 2024 survey report shows widespread avoidance behaviours. Large majorities of Jews see antisemitism rising. If the AdL data tracks elsewhere, then the sentiment is, not only real but, accurately reflected in the data.

The Community Security Trust in the United Kingdom documented sustained levels of it. Indeed, there have been elevated levels of it, as concerns. These are potentially closely linked to the massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023.

Hillel International documents record antisemitic incidents on campuses during the 2024-2025 academic year.

UN Actions Taken and Rights to Protect Jewish Peoples

The UN acknowledged a need to upgrade responsiveness. On January 17, 2025, the UN launched an Action Plan to enhance monitoring and response to antisemitism. There are rights with weight to protect the dignity and livelihood of Jewish people.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulates an assurance of the rights to non-discrimination, expression, life, religion, and security. The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination deals with anti-racism and anti-incitement and is binding. Racist incitement and organizations are to be prohibited.

The 1992 UN Declaration on Minorities (A/RES/47/135) is a General Assembly declaration — not legally binding, but authoritative — that addresses the protection of religious and ethnic minorities. These and other instruments can argue for equal rights and treatment for Jewish people internationally.

Antisemitism remains a documented and rising threat across multiple regions. UN Watch confirms it. Governments document it. Civil society organizations monitor it. International frameworks such as the ICCPR, ICERD, and the UN Minorities Declaration, among many others, provide binding or substantive protections in the case of treaties. They may include guiding norms in the case of declarations.

Objective data indicate the need for stronger institutional responses and sustained global vigilance. Let’s combat antisemitism together.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and the Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media companies and outlets. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.