The European Commission has expressed its concern over the resurgence of fear among Jewish communities in Europe, attributing it to the increase in anti-Semitism since the recent outbreak of hostilities between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The EU executive further cited specific recent attacks, including Molotov cocktails thrown at a synagogue in Germany, the display of Jewish stars on buildings in France, the desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Austria, and assaults on Jewish shops and synagogues in Spain. The Commission strongly condemns anti-Semitic acts, considering them to be in direct opposition to the fundamental values and way of life cherished by Europeans, and in contradiction to the social model that the entire European Union represents.