EU: UNESCO survey finds antisemitism present in three quarters of EU
MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen raises the issue at the European Parliament
UNESCO (27.01.2026) – More than three quarters of surveyed teachers in the European Union (EU) have encountered antisemitic incidents in their classroom, according to a report published by UNESCO with the support of the European Commission on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day. The survey also shows alarmingly high levels of Holocaust denial and physical violence against Jewish students.
Hate speech, notably antisemitism and Holocaust denial, has reached levels not seen since World War II. Most teachers have never received specific training to confront this reality, including the consequences related to AI development. UNESCO provides policymakers with unique tools to empower teachers in more than 30 countries — from classrooms and campuses to sports clubs — and soon even more.
Khaled El-EnanyUNESCO Director-General
Drawing from 2,030 teachers from 23 European Union countries, UNESCO’s new report “Addressing antisemitism through education: a survey of teachers’ knowledge and understanding” provides the first European study of trends in teachers’ perceptions and experiences of antisemitism in the classroom. The data shows that more than three quarters (78%) of surveyed teachers have encountered at least one antisemitic incident between students, while over a quarter of them (27%) had witnessed nine or more such incidents.
61% of surveyed teachers reported encountering Holocaust denial and distortion among their students, with 1 in 10 (11%) encountering this frequently. 1 in 10 reported witnessing physical attacks on Jewish students at least once, while almost half of them (44%) encountered students doing Nazi gestures or drawing or wearing Nazi symbols. A majority of surveyed teachers (61%) reported that they were unable to answer students’ questions about antisemitism at least once or twice. And 42% of them reported having encountered other teachers being antisemitic.
Despite this situation, 70% of teachers reported that they had received no professional training on how to recognize and address contemporary antisemitism, and less than a third had participated in training courses about antisemitism offered by specialist organizations from outside their school.
The survey was developed by UCL Centre for Holocaust education and conducted between August 2024 and May 2025. It was disseminated by Public First, with the support of European ministries of education.
UNESCO resources to counter antisemitism in the classroom
Published on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, the new survey is part of a set of new UNESCO resources which include:
- Strategies to counter antisemitism: A handbook for educators: a guide responding to a growing need among educators for clear and practical guidance on how to address antisemitism in the classroom. The handbook outlines 10 guiding practices, each brought to life with concrete examples from leading institutions.
- The representations of Jews, Judaism and antisemitism in school textbooks and curricula in Europe: a study of how antisemitism is taught and exposed in school textbooks and curricula in eight European countries, uncovering gaps and stereotypes, and providing recommendations to ensure that school materials are reflective of Jewish contributions across history and contemporary society.
- Teaching and learning about violent pasts: an online course to support educators in teaching difficult and violent pasts with accuracy and sensitivity. The course was launched alongside UNESCO’s policy guide, Addressing violent pasts through education, which supports ministries of education on how to address local histories of violence in education systems.
These resources are part of UNESCO’s broader effort to address antisemitism through education, and complement initiatives on Holocaust and genocide education, and efforts to counter hate speech and violent extremism. These efforts are aligned with the recently adopted EU Anti-Racism Strategy, which recalls the work jointly done with UNESCO in addressing racism and antisemitism in education, for a Europe free from racism where individuals can thrive, fully participate in society and contribute to its stability and prosperity.
Together with the European Commission and the OSCE, UNESCO has set up a dedicated training programme on addressing antisemitism which has been extended to all EU Member States in 2025. Since 2023, UNESCO has trained more than 1300 educators and policymakers across Europe to address antisemitism.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
More information: www.unesco.org
Parliamentary Question of MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen
“According to a UNESCO report on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, more than three quarters of surveyed teachers in the European Union have encountered antisemitic incidents in their classroom. The survey was based on responses of over 2,000 teachers across 23 Member States. It shows alarmingly high levels of Holocaust denial and physical violence against Jewish students. 70% of teachers also reported that they received no professional training on how to recognize and address antisemitism. As this report was published with the support of the European Commission:
- How does the Commission plan to counter this alarming trend and what steps will the Commission take to ensure the safety of Jewish students and accurate teaching of the Holocaust are treated as a priority across the EU, while respecting subsidiarity?
- Which special EU funding instruments (Erasmus+, CERV e.g.) have been used to combat antisemitism and how does the Commission verify that these funds are used effectively for this purpose?
- Is the Commission in that regard willing to allocate more budget, staff, and resources to EU efforts to counter antisemitism, including towards the EU Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life?
Link naar het UNESCO-rapport: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-survey-finds-antisemitism-present-three-quarters-eu-classrooms“
