- i24news
- International
- US / Canada
- Antisemitic incidents reach historic levels in U.S. - survey
Antisemitic incidents reach historic levels in U.S. - survey
The ADL's annual audit found that even before October 7 the number of incidents per month were hitting record highs, and spiked dramatically after the Hamas attack
While the rise in antisemitism in the United States has been a frequent topic of discussion in recent years, and particularly over the past six months, a new survey from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reveals alarming numbers that concretize the trend.
In its annual audit covering 2023, the ADL tallied a total of 8,873 incidents across the country, amounting to a 140 percent increase over 2022. The record number was higher than the three previous years combined.
In particular, after October 7 and until the end of the year, the ADL tabulated 5,204 incidents — more than the incident total for the whole of 2022. 52 percent of the incidents after the Hamas massacre included references to Israel, Zionism or Palestine.
Indeed, many of the incidents recorded took place at pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel rallies where ADL observed antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric in the form of signs, chants and speeches from protest leaders. In the months of October, November and December, ADL tracked 1,352 incidents associated with anti-Israel rallies.
2023 also saw a record in the percentage of incidents that included references to Israel or Zionism, largely after October 7. They included graffiti with slurs like "F--k Israel" and swastikas. For the first time since ADL started tracking references to Israel in antisemitic incidents, these cases constituted the majority of incidents in the months of October (59 percent) and November (60 percent).
Throughout the year, increases in antisemitic incidents were seen in all the categories in the survey, which are harassment, vandalism and assault. Harassment, defined as cases in which Jews (or people perceived to be Jewish) were harassed verbally or in writing with antisemitic slurs, stereotypes or conspiracy theories, accounted for 6,535 incidents — a 184 percent increase over the previous year.
Acts of vandalism, defined as property damaged in a way that incorporates evidence of antisemitic intent or had an impact on Jews, rose by 69 percent. Swastikas appeared in more than half of the incidents.
A total of 161 cases of assault were recorded in 2023 in which people were targeted with physical violence accompanied by antisemitic motive. It represented a 45 percent rise over 2022, with none of the incidents resulting in the death of the victims.
The incidents are further categorized by the type of location where they occurred, including Jewish institutions, synagogues, and educational facilities ranging from elementary schools to universities. Of note, incidents on campuses spiked by a staggering 321 percent, most of them occurring after October 7. The 922 incidents made up 10 percent of the 2023 total.
Incidents were recorded across the country in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The states with the highest number of incidents are known to have prevalent Jewish populations. California recorded the most incidents (1,266), followed by New York (1,218), New Jersey (830), Florida (463) and then Massachusetts (440). Combined, these five states account for nearly half of the total incidents.
The ADL, which has been tabulating antisemitic incidents since 1979, recorded a dip in the early 2010s. But since 2014, the number of incidents has been rising year-over-year, setting worrisome new records.