Antisemitic Incidents Triple in US Since October 7, ADL Reports
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has released preliminary data showing a staggering increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States since the escalation of the Hamas-Israel conflcit on October 7, 2023. The organization reports over 10,000 antisemitic incidents between October 7, 2023, and September 2024, a threefold increase from the previous year’s 3,325 incidents. This marks the highest number of incidents recorded in a 12-month period since the ADL began tracking threats in 1979, CNN reports.
The rise in antisemitic incidents coincides with escalating tensions in the Middle East and a surge in hate crimes targeting Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across the US. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported 8,061 instances of anti-Muslim bias in 2023, the highest number in their 28 years of tracking.
The ADL’s preliminary data reveals a disturbing trend:
• Over 150 incidents of physical assault
• More than 1,840 acts of vandalism
• Over 8,000 incidents involving verbal or written harassment
The data also highlights a concerning 500% spike in antisemitic incidents on US college campuses, with at least 1,200 incidents occurring over the past year. This spike is linked to the protests that erupted on campuses across the country in support of Palestinians, often featuring explicit expressions of support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, designated as terrorist in the US. While many protests were peaceful, some were marred by violence, including clashes with law enforcement, intimidation of Jewish students and faculty, and assaults by counter-demonstrators.
The FBI has issued a joint public advisory with the Department of Homeland Security warning of the potential for increased violence by extremists on the anniversary of the October 7 attack, citing the continued turmoil in the Middle East as a motivating factor.
