5 The current situation

On 8 October 2024, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) raised its assessment of the terror threat level in Norway from moderate (Level 3) to high (Level 4). PST noted that it was primarily the threat to Jewish and Israeli institutions and interests that was aggravated. This change was partly due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East and upcoming Jewish holidays. PST noted that while the image of the enemy of extreme Islamists and right-wing extremists is diverse, Jewish and Israeli institutions and interests have consistently been regarded as primary targets by these groups. Furthermore, PST noted that financially motivated actors, such as criminal networks and groups with some form of connection to Iran, may be recruited to carry out terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli institutions and interests in Europe. In its assessment, PST emphasised that the situation was unclear and continuously evolving. The current threat assessments are available on PST’s website, pst.no .

Attitudes toward Jews in the population

The survey of attitudes toward Jews and Muslims in Norway conducted by the Norwegian Holocaust Centre, published in May 2024, shows an increase in negative attitudes toward Jews compared to corresponding surveys in 2012, 2017 and 2022. The biggest change from previous surveys relates to negative feelings or antipathy toward Jews. In 2024, 8.6 per cent of the Norwegian population expressed antipathy toward Jews, compared to 4.7 per cent in 2022.

In total, the 2024 survey shows that 11.5 per cent of the Norwegian population hold marked prejudices against Jews. The overall increase in negative attitudes toward Jews does not alter the conclusions from previous surveys indicating that traditional antisemitic attitudes are not widespread in Norway. However, the Norwegian Holocaust Centre notes that developments in the Middle East may be affecting attitudes toward Jews in Norway. The previous surveys were conducted during periods in which the situation in the Middle East was relatively calm.

The Norwegian Holocaust Centre’s attitude surveys in 2017 and 2022 also map the attitudes of Jews and Muslims toward each other. The surveys show that around 30 per cent of Muslims in Norway hold prejudices against Jews. However, a clear majority of Jews and Muslims see opportunities for cooperating with each other to combat prejudice and discrimination. The 2024 survey did not include such a mapping. The 2024 survey shows that antisemitism is more prevalent among men and persons with a low level of education than among women and persons with a high level of education. This corresponds with the findings from the previous surveys. Antisemitism is least prevalent among the youngest age group (18–29 years).

The experiences of the Jewish minority

Norwegian Jews’ experiences of antisemitism can largely be linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and many feel that they are held personally responsible for Israel’s policies. This is not a new phenomenon; however, the trend has become more pronounced. 24 Many Jews in Norway currently experience fear, uncertainty and exclusion related to negative reactions to Israel’s warfare following Hamas’ terrorist attacks against civilians and hostage-taking in Israel. There have been threats against Jewish institutions, threats and harassment against individuals and threats to the homes of some Jewish families in Norway. Many no longer dare to wear visible Jewish symbols, such as the Star of David as a piece of jewellery around their neck, or place the nine-branched Hanukkah candelabrum in their windowsill.

There have also been several instances of Jewish schoolchildren and young people facing harassment, including being pressured by classmates to take a stance on the ongoing war or being held accountable for Israel’s warfare. Children and young people may have few or no others to turn to for support in such situations, as they are often the only Jewish pupil at their school. Jewish teenagers in Norway also express loneliness. 25 As one teenager said in an interview with the newspaper Vårt Land: «People can be angry with Israel (…), but don’t take it out on people who have nothing to do with the Israeli military actions.»

Jews experience that the discourse in Norway has become more polarised and that there is an increased tolerance of antisemitism in society. Many also say that they are cautious about speaking out in public, in the workplace and in private social settings. When a group from the Jewish minority sought to draw attention to the fact that Jewish women are also victims of sexualised violence during International Women’s Day in Oslo on 8 March 2024, the harassment against them became so intense that they were forced to leave the event. Later, on 12 March 2024, the incident was discussed on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NRK) programme Debatten [The Debate].

There have also been public expressions of antisemitism in the wake of the war in the Middle East, such as the tagging of the message «Hitler started it, we finished it» at the Furuset Metro Station. The tagging happened on 16 December 2023, the same day that peace marches for Gaza were held in several parts of the country. Many Jews in Norway also feel that there is no space for them in demonstrations for peace in the Middle East. However, representatives of the faith communities in Oslo and Trondheim participate in the general public debate to the extent they have the resources to do so.

The Jewish Community of Oslo is concerned with maintaining the information measures against antisemitism that it has been running for almost a decade, to the same extent as before. There is a considerable demand for Jewish Pathfinders in upper secondary schools nationwide, and the website jødedommen.no is actively used. In addition, both the Jewish Community of Oslo and the Jewish Community of Trondheim want to establish more meeting spaces for Jewish children and young people in what is, for many, a difficult situation, involving increased antisemitism and a polarised discourse.

The Jewish Cultural Festival Trondheim is held annually and is an important cultural outreach measure that highlights the diversity of Jewish culture to the general public, and also contributes to combating antisemitism. The same applies to exhibitions and activities at the Jewish museums in Oslo and Trondheim.

The think tank Kos & Kaos – The Nordic Jewish Network, established in 2016, creates arenas for debate with the aim of amplifying different voices and viewpoints, promoting critical thinking and combating discrimination. Kos & Kaos has been organising debates in Oslo over the past year, addressing topics such as antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seen from different perspectives. The events in Oslo have been fully booked.

The Jewish Community of Bergen was formally established as a voluntary organisation in 2021 and states that it has 120 members. The Jewish Community of Bergen aims to preserve and develop Jewish culture, identity, language, religion, traditions and heritage in Bergen. The Jewish Community of Bergen is concerned with combating antisemitism in Bergen and the surrounding area, working to facilitate more meeting spaces, particularly for Jewish children and young people, and wants to establish separate premises for the organisation.

The network Jødiske stemmer for rettferdig fred [Jewish Voices for Just Peace] was established in the autumn of 2023 by a group of Jews in Norway. The network is engaged in matters pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for peace in the Middle East, a free Palestine—and against antisemitism.