Denmark unveils $18.7 million plan to fight antisemitism

Denmark’s government has unveiled a new plan to combat rising antisemitism, pledging 120 million Danish kroner ($18.7 million) through 2030 to boost security, education and research.

The new measures will increase security funding for Jewish institutions, strengthen efforts against online hate and introduce new programs for children and young people, the country’s Justice Ministry says. A coordinator on antisemitism will be appointed for schools, and a new association will be created to combat antisemitic hate crimes. The initiatives build on earlier cross-party agreements that expire at the end of the year.

The plan follows a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in Denmark since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Reports from the Denmark Jewish Community’s Department for Mapping and Registering Anti-Semitic Incidents show that the country saw 207 antisemitic incidents in 2024, up from 121 the previous year and just nine in 2022. Police have registered more than 500 hate crime reports linked to the search key “Judaism” since late 2023.

“Jews in Denmark should neither feel persecuted nor harassed,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard says, calling for “tough and firm consequences” for those spreading hate. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen says antisemitism “is an attack on the values on which our society is built.”