United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk denounced today (Saturday) the “sharp increase in hatred” in the world since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

In a statement, Türk expressed his deep regret at the increasing cases of “anti-Semitism,” Islamophobia, and other hate speech. He said: “The repercussions of this crisis...have reverberated everywhere, leading to the dehumanization of Palestinians and Jews. “We are witnessing a significant increase in hate speech, violence and discrimination, deepening social divisions and polarization, as well as the denial of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

The UN official added: “I heard Jews and Muslims saying that they do not feel safe, and this saddens me,” according to Agence France-Presse.

The Israeli army is encircling Gaza City, declaring that it wants to eliminate the Hamas movement in response to the October 7 attack, which the Israeli authorities say resulted in the deaths of about 1,400 people in Israel, most of whom were civilians.

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that about 9,500 people were killed in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, in Israeli raids.

Around the world, “harassment, attacks, anti-Islamic hate speech and anti-Semitism have increased, including in the context of conflict-related protests,” Türk said.

He pointed out that “in some cases we have witnessed comprehensive or disproportionate restrictions on gatherings, especially in the context of pro-Palestinian protests.”

Türk stressed that any restrictions on peaceful gatherings must be proportionate and based on the law.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also condemned the “inflammatory, toxic and hate speech” used by political leaders. He said, “The torrent of hate speech used, including on social media, is abhorrent.”

He concluded that “international law is clear on this issue. Any call for national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence is prohibited.”

Source: agencies