Minister says anti-Semitism being driven by pandemic

Anti-Semitism around the world is being fueled by the coronavirus crisis, Foreign Minister Israel Katz says, calling on his government to aid Jewish communities in the Diaspora being ravaged by the pandemic.

“Anti-Semitism, which was already on the rise before the crisis, has gotten another boost [from the coronavirus]. And it is threatening Jewish communities that are being shaken by the virus’s blows, both medically and economically,” he says at a memorial ceremony for diplomats and foreign service officers killed in the line of duty. “We can’t allow this phenomenon to become legitimized by repetition. We need to join hands with Diaspora Jewish communities, along with various Jewish organizations, to uproot this scourge wherever it shows its head,” he says.

The comments come a week after Jewish groups reported that anti-Semitic incidents were on the rise amid world instability, including among people who blame COVID-19 on a Jewish conspiracy.