Antisemitic incidents in the US have surged to their highest level since 1979 in the year following the October 7 terror attacks, new data has revealed. According to preliminary data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), there were over 10,000 cases of antisemitism reported between October 7, 2023, and September 24, 2024. This significant increase represents a more than 200 percent rise compared to the 3,325 incidents recorded in the same period the previous year, marking a record number since tracking began in 1979.
The tragic events of one year ago when Hamas terrorists carried out an attack on a music festival in southern Israel resulting in the loss of some 1,200 lives, triggered a chain of events leading to the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians. Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the ADL, expressed mourning for the victims of the October 7 attack and highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by Jewish Americans amidst a wave of antisemitic threats and violence.
The ADL Centre on Extremism has categorised the antisemitic incidents into verbal or written harassment, vandalism, and physical assault. Over the past year, there have been more than 8,015 instances of verbal or written harassment, over 1,840 cases of vandalism, and more than 150 incidents of physical assault. Alarmingly, around 1,200 of these incidents occurred on college campuses, a fivefold increase from the previous year.
Jewish institutions such as synagogues and Jewish centres were also targeted, with over 2,000 incidents reported. Notably, more than half of the incidents at these institutions were bomb threats, significantly higher than the 81 bomb threats recorded in the same period the year before. Many of the antisemitic incidents, over 3,000 in total, took place during anti-Israel rallies, where expressions of support for terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and others were observed.
The ADL anticipates the numbers may rise further as more incident reports come in from various sources. The final data on antisemitic incidents for the year 2024 is expected to be published in spring 2025. The alarming increase in antisemitic incidents underscores the importance of continued efforts to combat hate and discrimination in all forms within society.