Anti-Semitism, particularly among young people, is spreading globally in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to Mathias Döpfner, chief executive and controlling shareholder of Axel Springer, the German media company set to acquire The Telegraph. Speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) conference in London on June 24, Döpfner characterized the phenomenon as a disturbing “global export,” with much of the rise originating in Germany and Austria and resonating strongly among younger demographics.
Döpfner expressed deep concern over the growth of this form of hatred, calling it “the biggest disgrace of our times.” He highlighted that despite widespread access to Holocaust education, the aftermath of the Hamas attacks did not prompt a global outpouring of solidarity. Instead, it has, in his view, generated a wave of new anti-Semitic sentiment.
Data from the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, showed a rise in such hate crimes last year, with approximately 3,700 reported anti-Jewish incidents—a 4 percent increase from the previous year—marking the second-highest annual total recorded. Notable violent incidents linked to this trend include the Manchester synagogue attack in October 2025, which resulted in the deaths of two Jewish men, and the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney in December 2025, where 15 people were killed.
Additional research by the Union of Jewish Students in March 2026 pointed to troubling levels of anti-Semitism within UK universities. A survey conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute earlier this month found that over a quarter of surveyed undergraduates considered the Hamas attacks defensible, underscoring the persistence of extremist attitudes among young people.
At the same conference, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, warned that rising anti-Semitism in the UK has created a climate of fear among Jewish communities, with many reportedly contemplating leaving London. Farage condemned pro-Palestinian demonstrations where some participants chanted anti-Jewish slogans, describing these events as fostering division and insecurity.
Beyond anti-Semitism, Döpfner also discussed broader geopolitical challenges facing Western democracies. He argued that authoritarian states such as China and Russia are achieving their strategic objectives, while centrist democracies appear to be faltering. Döpfner called for renewed leadership in the West to counter these trends, warning that the model of open societies may be under threat.
Döpfner further noted a significant imbalance in American media, asserting that centre-Right audiences are largely underserved in the United States, where media outlets predominantly lean left. He observed that more extreme Right outlets often alienate moderate centre-Right viewers, leaving a gap in the media landscape.
The concerns raised at the Arc conference highlight increasing anxieties about the rise of anti-Semitism and authoritarianism, as well as the challenges facing democratic societies in maintaining social cohesion and political balance.