The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has reported a significant surge in antisemitic incidents in the United States, coinciding with the onset of the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7. According to the ADL, there were 3,283 antisemitic incidents, including 60 physical assaults, between October 7 and January 7. This figure marks a more than fourfold increase compared to the same period last year and exceeds the total number of incidents recorded in any full calendar year, except for 2022.

The ADL’s data, which draws from law enforcement, media reports, and direct reports to the organization, suggests that the recent Israel-Hamas war is a major catalyst for this rise in antisemitism. Approximately two-thirds of the reported incidents involved references to Israel or Zionism, with 40% of them occurring at pro-Palestinian rallies expressing support for terrorism against Israel and/or anti-Zionism.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has reiterated the organization’s stance that anti-Zionism is equivalent to antisemitism, a position that has been a source of contention with despicable groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, and the equally despicable Neturei Karta.

The ADL report also highlighted the widespread occurrence of fake bomb threats, known as “swatting,” targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions, which have continued at a large scale since October 7. Additionally, there have been 505 antisemitic incidents on college campuses and 246 in K-12 schools since the invasion.

The most severe assault reported since October 7 involved the death of a Jewish man at dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in southern California. Other notable incidents include the assault of an Israeli student at Columbia University and the arrest of a man for an alleged hate crime assault of an Israeli in Times Square.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)