A special online briefing hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) on Wednesday examined the impact on Europe of the ongoing war in the Middle East, including a rise in attacks targeting the continent’s Jewish communities.
The forum — titled “How Is the Iran Conflict Reshaping Europe?” — featured Bulgarian European Parliament Member Andrey Kovatchev, Franco-Iranian lawyer and activist Shaparak Saleh, and CAM Public Affairs Officer and Iranian Coalition Head Natalie Sanandaji.
The discussion was moderated by CAM Director of European Affairs Shannon Seban.
Watch the full briefing HERE:
In her opening remarks, Seban presented Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM data showing a spike of antisemitic incidents around the world following the start of the Iran war a month ago. In recent weeks, Jewish institutions have been targeted in London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Liège.
Of the 153 antisemitic incidents logged globally by the ARC during the first week of the war, 73, or 48%, were motivated by the conflict.
Levels of antisemitism have remained elevated worldwide in subsequent weeks, and are now trending upward, with 137 recorded the week of March 5-12, 181 the week of March 12-19, and 216 the week of March 19-26.
“These numbers are not abstract,” Saban said. “They reflect a growing reality in our society.”
The speakers highlighted the Tehran regime’s to sow instability globally. Kovatchev — vice chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee — said Iran was “supporting terrorist networks in the whole Middle East and beyond,” and he warned of disinformation campaigns fueling rising antisemitism across Europe, including on university campuses.
Saleh said full dismantlement of the Tehran regime was necessary for meaningful change. According to her, people in Iran view the U.S.-Israeli military operation as “a response to a cry for help.”
“This is what the Iranian people were asking for,” Saleh said. “Because they tried to stand up for their rights many times. Many times since 1979 they have tried to fight for their rights on their own, and they have never been successful because they are facing one of the worst dictatorships that this world has ever known.”
Sanandaji, a Persian Jewish American who survived the Nova music festival massacre on October 7th, emphasized, “The Iranian people are not their government.”
See more recent CAM online security briefings:
CAM Security Briefing Examines Next Stages of Escalating Iran War
War in the Middle East: Khamenei’s Death and the Future of Freedom in Iran
