A dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in the first three months of this year was reported at a special session of the European Parliament.

The number of incidents so far in 2009 exceeds the total number of such occurrences during 2008, according to the report from the European Jewish Congress.

The report cites reaction to Israel’s operation in Gaza as a key trigger for attacks, adding that the economic crisis is reviving old antisemitic stereotypes. The same upwards trend in antisemitic incidents was evident in Canada.

B’nai Brith Canada released its 2008 Audit of Antisemitic incidents, documenting 1,135 incidents, an increase of 9 per cent on last year and a more than four-fold rise on ten years ago.