New action plan against antisemitism

The action plan is part of the Government’s work to strengthen and intensify the effort to combat racism, harassment and discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity and religion.

‘Efforts to counter antisemitism require a long-term approach. This is the Government’s third consecutive action plan on this issue,’ said Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Erling Sande.

The Jewish community in Norway comprises some 1 500 people. For many Jewish people, the situation in the world today is very challenging. War and conflict in the Middle East have heightened antisemitism in Norway. There has been an increase in threats, hate speech and discrimination, and the threat level towards Jewish institutions has been raised.  

‘Antisemitism poses a threat to our society as a whole. It is not up to the Jewish community alone to fight antisemitism. We all have a responsibility for working together to counter hatred and prejudice, and we must take that responsibility seriously,’ said Prime Minister Støre.

The purpose of the action plan is both to combat antisemitism in Norwegian society in general and to safeguard the well-being of the Jewish community. The action plan includes measures to increase knowledge about antisemitism and Jewish religion and culture, as well as measures to strengthen Jewish organisations.

‘It is essential for the Jewish community to have resilient organisations and the resources to create meeting places, especially for bringing together Jewish children and young people, who often may be the only Jewish person in their class or at their school,’ said Mr Sande.

The action plan is dynamic, and it will be possible to add new measures as needed. The action plan will be implemented for the period 2025–2030.

Three priority focus areas

The action plan against antisemitism sets out 22 measures divided into three priority focus areas: dialogue and a well-functioning democracy; knowledge and expertise; and safety and security.

Schools have an important role to play in preventing racist attitudes, and education about antisemitism is to be incorporated into school curriculums. The action plan includes measures to strengthen the Norwegian peace and human rights centres and to further develop the Dembra (Democratic Preparedness Antisemitism and Racism) programme for schools.

The Government will present a new action plan to combat discrimination and hatred towards Muslims before the end of 2024, and an action plan to combat harassment and discrimination against the Sámi people will be presented early in 2025.   

Increased threats due to war in the Middle East

The number of threats against Jewish institutions in Norway has been on the rise due to the war and conflict in the Middle East. In addition, the number of reports citing antisemitism as the motive for hate crime has more than doubled from 2022 to 2023.  

Under the Government’s ‘Action plan against antisemitism 2021–2023 – a continuation’, a national competence centre against hate crime was established to provide support to all police districts. The competence centre has been given more resources to enhance knowledge about antisemitism in the police districts.