A/74/358 trying to employ data to ascertain the prevalence and impact of hate crimes or the efficacy of existing responses. However, the existing data do indicate that antisemitic acts are on the rise worldwide, which requires urgent and effective action by States to combat the phenomenon. 66. In many countries with smaller or non-existent Jewish communities, however, including in the Middle East and North Africa and the Asia -Pacific regions, authorities do not monitor antisemitic incidents, hate speech or hate crimes. Nevertheless, in reports provided directly to the Special Rapporteur, representatives of NGOs confirmed that in some cases antisemitic attitudes appear to be prevalent, tolerated and even propagated by State officials. 67. Moreover, manifestations of antisemitic attitudes online and offline, including antisemitic hate crimes, not only affect their victims, but can also evoke fear among Jewish communities, marginalize individuals in vulnerable situations , promote disinformation and incite hatred, discrimination and violence. As outlined by the previous Special Rapporteur, “the spread of negative stereotypes and prejudices … poisons the relationship between different communities and puts people belonging t o religious minorities in a vulnerable situation” (A/HRC/22/51, para. 47). In addition, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism has noted that Holocaust revisionism contributes to the rehabilitation and dissemination of Nazism and creates fertile ground for nationalist and neo-Nazi demonstrations (A/HRC/38/53, para. 15). Hate speech and the stigmatization of Jews can undermine external expressions of the right to freedom of religion or belief. 68. There is limited research on the gendered aspects of antisemitism. Research conducted by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research in the United Kingdom found that while women are less likely to be victims of antisemitic attacks (14 per cent women, compared with 74 per cent men), a marginally larger share of women avoid Jewish public events for safety reasons (24 per cent, compared with 21 per cent of men) or remove symbols identifying them as Je wish in public (55 per cent, compared with 50 per cent). 84 In line with a human rights-based approach, States and civil society should ensure that frameworks to address both antisemitism and sexism account for intersecting religious and gendered identities. 69. There is not a more graphic example than the Holocaust of how religious and racial hatred can lead to genocide, and there have been many cases since that show how indifference to manifestations of such hatred can lead to the destruction of societies. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that, under international human rights law, States are required to enact or rescind legislation, where necessary, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, including against Jews, and to take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance and violence on such grounds, including where such acts are manifested by private persons. Article 20 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights imposes upon States parties the duty to prohibit by law any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. Similarly, article 4 (a) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination requires States to declare as an offence punishable by law “incitement to racial discrimination, as well as all acts of violence or incitement to such acts against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin ”. 70. While a robust approach to combating manifestations of hatred is required, criminal or other punitive measures should be used only as a last resort, when less restrictive measures have failed (A/HRC/22/17/Add.4, appendix, para. 34). It has __________________ 84 19-16257 See www.antisemitism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5982-Misogyny-and-AntisemitismBriefing-April-2019-v1.pdf. 19/23