American Jews faced more than 25 anti-Semitism incidents per day (more than an hour per hour) last year, and the majority of hatred related to opposition to Israel was linked to opposition to Israel, a surprising new report discovered Tuesday.
In 2024 there were a record 9,354 incidents of anti-Semitic assault, harassment and vandalism nationwide. ADL Annual Audit.
The total has increased by 5% from 2023, 344% over the past five years, and 893% over the past decade, and the highest level has been recorded since ADL began tracking this data in 1979.
The total for 12 months in 2024 averaged cases of target anti-Semites that exceeded 25 hours per day.
“This horrifying level of anti-Semitism should never be accepted, but as our data shows, it has become a lasting and harsh reality for the American Jewish community,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.
“Jewish Americans continue to attack, attack and be targeted, who they are, on a daily basis and wherever they go.
“But let’s be clear: we are proud of our Jewish culture, religion and identity and are not threatened by prejudice.”
This is the first time that discrimination related to Israel or Zionism has made up 58% of the total, among anti-Israel campus and street protests, constitutes the majority of all cases.
Campus and street protests surged during the war in Gaza caused by Hamas’ Israeli invasion on October 7, 2023.
New York’s hatred is vented
The states with the largest Jews reported the most cases.
New York led the country in 1,437 cases, then California led with reports of 1,344 and New Jersey with 719 cases of Jewish hatred.
But even states with fewer Jews have reported big jumps to reported anti-Semitism, including Colorado and Virginia.
The ADL said opposition to Israeli policy is not equivalent to anti-Semitism, but the audit said protests often vent Jewish hatred.
University campuses, including Columbia and Cornell, became anti-Israel hotbeds and anti-Semitic activities, with 1,694 cases or cases rising by 84%, including almost one of all reported cases nationwide.
“The protesters have shown “justified or glorified anti-Semitic violence” by framing it as “resistance” that justified terrorist attacks on Israel and the Jewish community,” the ADL said.
Some protesters “openly displayed” support for US-designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), wore Hamas headbands and “praved” leaders by waving popular fronts for Hezbollah and the Palestine Liberation (PFLP) flags,” the report added.
“Many protests featured rhetoric widely interpreted as a call to destroy Israel through slogans such as “Death from Israel” and “Death from River to Sea.” Palestine will be free,” rhetoric explicitly alienates Jews with Israeli ties, such as “No Zionists don’t want here,” ADL said.
The organization also said that the classic “anti-Semitic ratios” are often displayed by protesters, including “blood honours, conspiracy theories about the manipulation of “Zionist media,” and equating Swastika with David’s star, namely a direct attack on Jewish religious symbols.”
Judicial students in the Palestine (SJP) and Socialism and Liberation Party (PSL) are the most active organizers of protests that have occurred in anti-Semitism cases, the report said.
At the anti-Israel camp at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), protesters showed signs including “Death 2 Zionism,” “Israels are Native 2 Hell,” and “Intifadas of Long Live.”
At the University of California, Berkeley, the agitators occupied and destroyed the accused buildings, leaving messages containing multiple examples of images that equated the Star of David with something ferocious.
Other findings from ADL’s Anti-Semitism Incident Audit 2024
- There were 196 attacks, an increase of 21% from 2023. Orthodox Jews identified by their religious attire accounted for nearly a third of the victims.
- 2,606 incidents of 20% jumping and vandalism since 2023. swastikas were present in almost 40% of cases
- Harassment: 6,552 incidents from 6,535 recorded incidents in 2023. This category includes anti-Semitic slurs and bomb threats.
ADL audits include both harassment, vandalism, and offence and crimes and non-criminal conduct of individuals and groups reported by victims, law enforcement, the media and other partner organizations and assessed by their experts.
