A recent study conducted by The Anti-Defamation League highlights a significant surge in antisemitic activities across the United States following the Hamas assaults on Israel on Oct. 7. According to early figures released by the ADL, there has been a threefold increase in such incidents, with the figures reaching above 10,000, compared to 3,325 in the preceding year. This marks the highest recorded number of incidents since the organization started monitoring this data back in 1979.
Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of ADL, remarked, “Today, we mourn the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, marking one year since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. From that day on, Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite.” He further added, “Instead, we’ve faced a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere.”
According to the ADL Center on Extremism, the incidents are categorized into three groups: verbal or written harassment, vandalism, and physical assault, with the vast majority, numbering 8,015, being verbal or written harassment.
The study also points out a significant uptick in occurrences on university grounds, with at least 1,200 incidents reported, marking a 500% increase from the previous year’s approximately 200 incidents.
Furthermore, the research discovered that over 3,000 incidents occurred during demonstrations opposing Israel, where participants voiced their support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and other recognized terrorist organizations.
The ADL compiles this data annually in its Audit of Antisemitic Incidents report. In 2023, the ADL documented a staggering 8,873 antisemitic incidents, which translates to a 140% increase from 2022.
The comprehensive data for 2024 is expected to be made available in the spring of 2025.
