‘A phenomenon we have neve

The Foreign Ministry has identified a disturbing phenomenon it says was virtually unknown on this scale in previous years: Israelis abroad increasingly seeking help after being targeted in antisemitic incidents. Between July 2025 and July 2026, 45 Israelis who experienced antisemitic incidents overseas required assistance and support from the ministry’s Department for Israelis in Distress. Foreign Ministry officials said the figure was almost nonexistent in previous years and reflects the changing reality facing Israelis around the world since the outbreak of the war. The incidents included assaults, fights, spitting, verbal abuse, refusal of service, expulsions from hotels, cafés and restaurants, and cases in which Israelis felt threatened. “Over the past year, we have seen a phenomenon on a scale we had not encountered before: Israelis contacting us after experiencing antisemitic incidents during stays abroad,” said Eli Yifrah, the Foreign Ministry’s deputy director general for consular affairs.