Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in the three months since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel have surged, eclipsing annual statistics for the past decade.
According to data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents rose 360 percent between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7 when compared with the same time frame one year prior.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expresses concern
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed deep concern, stating, “The American Jewish community is facing a threat level that’s now unprecedented in modern history.”
“It’s shocking that we’ve recorded more antisemitic incidents in three months than we usually would in an entire year.”
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Diverse antisemitic Incidents on college campuses and Jewish institutions
The data includes 60 cases of physical assault, 553 incidents of vandalism, and more than 1,300 cases of written or verbal harassment.
More than 500 of the incidents took place on college campuses, while more than 600 were targeted at Jewish institutions, like synagogues.
Alarming surge in antisemitic incidents and fake bomb threats
“In this difficult moment, antisemitism is spreading and mutating in alarming ways,” said Greenblatt.
“This onslaught of hate includes a dramatic increase in fake bomb threats that disrupt services at synagogues and put communities on edge across the country.”
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FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony
FBI Director Christopher Wray said last month that antisemitic hate crimes had jumped 60 percent since the start of the war.
“We’ve been opening, I think, 60 percent more hate crimes investigations post-Oct. 7, then compared to the comparable period pre-Oct. 7,” Wray said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The biggest chunk of those are threats against the Jewish community, but there are, of course, attacks against others as well,” he said, pointing to attacks against Muslim targets.
Disturbing trend of hate: Antisemitic incidents rise
The surge in antisemitic incidents is profoundly concerning and points to a worrisome trend of hate and violence.
As the ADL CEO emphasized, the American Jewish community now faces an unprecedented threat level, highlighting the urgent need for continued efforts to combat antisemitism and promote tolerance and understanding.
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