Antisemitic incidents in US surge 337% since Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, ADL says
The US has seen more reported antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7 than any two months in about 45 years, when the Anti-Defamation League started keeping such statistics, the group said Monday.
There were 2,031 antisemitic incidents reported in the US between Oct. 7 — when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel — and Dec. 7, according to preliminary data released by the ADL.
That figure is a staggering 337% spike compared to the same two-month time frame in 2022, when there were 465 incidents documented.
The number also is nearly triple the previous roughly 45-year high over a two-month span: October and November of last year, when 741 incidents were recorded, an ADL rep told The Post.
The ADL, which was founded in 1913 and began recording antisemitic incidents in 1979, called the increase
The shocking numbers cover 40 physical assaults, 337 instances of vandalism, 749 incidents of harassment and 905 rallies that involved antisemitic rhetoric and support for terrorism against Israel, the ADL said.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement that Jewish communities are being engulfed by hate – and there is no sign of it receding.
“This terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing,” Greenblatt said.
“The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate,” he said.
Addressing growing antisemitism on university campuses, Greenblatt added, “Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”
The ADL included in its statistics the death of a Jewish man and pro-Israel supporter, Paul Kessler, 69, who was killed during a clash with a pro-Palestinian protester in California last month.
While a suspect was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, he is not facing hate-crime charges.
At least 1,411 of the recent US incidents are said to be connected to the Israel-Hamas war, which has led to tense protests over the Jewish state’s military campaign in Gaza.
About 250 antisemitic incidents targeted Jewish institutions including synagogues and campus Hillels, the group said.
About 400 antisemitic incidents have happened on college campuses — another sharp rise compared to the same time period last year when there were only 33 incidents.
There was also a jump in vandalism and harassment of businesses that are Jewish or Israeli-owned, according to the ADL.
“Vandalism of a Jewish business isn’t political protest – it’s antisemitism, and it’s criminal,” Greenblatt said. “Boycotts have historically targeted the Jewish community at times of crisis, and it’s alarming that it’s happening again now.”
The White House previously announced a national strategy in May to address antisemitism.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, said at the lighting of a massive menorah in front of the White House last week to mark the start of Hanukkah that American Jews are “feeling alone” and “in pain.”
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also sounded the alarm late last month over a “spike in antisemitism” that he said was fueled by pro-Hamas “dogwhistles” at protests denouncing Israel.
Source » nypost.com
