Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard announced at a press conference on Tuesday that geographical penalty zones with increased penalties for antisemitism and other hate crimes will be introduced in the future. This measure is part of a comprehensive political agreement consisting of 12 initiatives aimed at strengthening efforts against antisemitism in Denmark.
“If we look at the current times, we have a great responsibility to do everything in our power to create security and peace for our Jewish citizens,” stated Hummelgaard.
The agreement includes a grant of ten million Danish kroner for research into what the government describes as “the new antisemitism,” characterized as hatred directed towards the state of Israel. There are also plans to develop better teaching materials on antisemitism for use in schools.
Another key point in the agreement is increased insight into Jewish culture and history for young people. According to Minister for Children and Education Mattias Tesfaye, who was also present at the press meeting, there will be better opportunities for school students to visit concentration camps in the future. “They should see with their own eyes what happened on our continent,” Tesfaye said, referring to the events during World War II and the Holocaust.
The government has been working for some time on an agreement that can create greater security for Jews in Denmark. This agreement, reached with all parties in the Danish Parliament, comes in response to a significant increase in the number of antisemitic incidents after the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th last year. In 2022, 121 antisemitic incidents were reported to the Jewish Community, the highest number since recording began in 2012.