European Jews demand protected minority status amid antisemitism surge

More than 100 Jewish leaders from across Europe voted to push for special protected minority status for Jewish communities, citing growing antisemitism and security threats across the continent.

The initiative, led by the European Jewish Association, seeks formal recognition of Jews as a protected national minority while safeguarding key Jewish practices such as circumcision, kosher slaughter, and religious burial rites.

Jewish leaders warned that rising attacks, fear, and anti-Jewish hostility have made existing protections insufficient, arguing that Jewish life in Europe can no longer depend on the “goodwill” of changing governments.