Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has just released its annual 2018 report on antisemitism. Minister Naftali Bennet, a rising political figure ahead of the upcoming elections, oversees the ministry and the compilation of the 112-page account of the frightening new trends in antisemitism around the world.

The picture emerging from this in-depth analysis is that incidents of antisemitism are increasing, and in many countries are reaching record levels. Worldwide, 2018 was a record year for the number of victims of antisemitic attacks.

Unlike years in which Islamist antisemitism was the central and most dangerous threat to Israel, 2018 was a turning point. Now antisemitic incidents originating from right-wing extremists are the main and most dangerous factor for Jewish communities, especially in the United States and Europe. 
The year began with the horrific murder of the American Jewish student by a member of a radical right-wing group and continued with the Etz Chaim Synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, perpetrated by an extreme nationalist opposed to immigration and advocating white supremacy.

The background to these trends is diverse and includes: polarization in the political discourse, the continuation of the immigration crisis, globalism, Euro-scepticism, the strengthening of nationalism, and the counteractions that these trends provoke.