Antisemitic attacks reached their highest level on record in 2024, with 9,354 incidents nationwide, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). A staggering 64% of these incidents occurred in just 10 states—eight of which are led by Democratic governors. The surge was driven largely by harassment and violence linked to anti-Israel activism on college campuses.
New York topped the list with 1,437 incidents, followed by California with 1,344. In New York, assaults against Jewish individuals jumped 52% in one year and are up 583% over five years. Nearly one-third of all antisemitic assaults in the U.S. happened in New York, with Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn being disproportionately targeted. Brooklyn alone accounted for 39% of all assaults in the state.
The report links 58% of all antisemitic incidents nationwide to Israel, with many occurring on college campuses where pro-Hamas activists faced minimal consequences. In New York, campus antisemitism increased by 163%, with 66% of those incidents taking place in New York City. Columbia University and Barnard College alone were the sites of 27% of those attacks.
The ADL described Columbia University as the epicenter of campus antisemitism in spring 2024. Jewish students reported being harassed, threatened, and denied access to campus spaces. Similar reports surfaced at New York University, further fueling New York’s rise as the national leader in campus antisemitism.
President Donald Trump responded early in his second term by issuing an executive order to combat antisemitism. Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Trump denounced the resulting wave of anti-Jewish violence in schools and on campuses. He directed the Department of Justice to investigate universities harboring foreign nationals and failing to curb antisemitic violence, starting with Columbia, Harvard, and UCLA.
Trump’s administration also moved to withhold billions in taxpayer-funded grants from institutions that refused to implement clear policies against antisemitism and pro-Hamas rioting. Columbia and UCLA quickly signaled compliance, launching initiatives to combat the hate.
California, second only to New York, also saw sharp increases in antisemitism, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego leading the spike. Bomb threats against Jewish institutions surged 116% in January, and overall incidents jumped significantly in April. College campuses in California reported a 69% increase in antisemitic activity, and assaults have risen 154% since 2022.
