ADL Reports Record-High 8,873 Anti-Semitic Incidents in US as Israel-Hamas Conflict Sparks Dramatic Surge

Rewritten Article:
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported 8,873 cases of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States last year – a record high since tracking began in 1979. This marks an increase of over 140% from the previous all-time high set in 2022 when nearly 3,700 instances were recorded by the Jewish civil rights advocacy group. The majority (6,535) of these incidents involved harassment – defined as verbal or online abuse targeting Jews or those perceived to be Jewish with anti-Semitic slurs, stereotypes and conspiracy theories. There was also a significant increase in vandalism cases, up from 1,072 reported the previous year, totalling 2,177 incidents last year alone.
The ADL’s annual audit of antisemitism revealed that there were over 5,204 instances between October and December 31st – a dramatic spike in numbers following the start of Israel-Hamas conflict during this period. The group updated its methodology after the war to include certain expressions of opposition to Zionism as well as support for resistance against Israel or Zionists that could be perceived as supporting terrorism or attacks on Jews, Israeli’s and/or Zionists in order to provide greater insight into instances with this underlying context. The updated audit saw an additional 1,350 incidents included within its findings.
The ADL noted that “legitimate political protest, support for Palestinian rights or expressions of opposition to Israeli policies” were not considered as part of the report unless they incorporated anti-Semitic and/or anti-Zionist sentiment or supported terrorism attacks against Jews or Israelis – most physical scuffles or verbal insults between protesters did not qualify. The group highlighted over 1,352 incidents at protests where anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric was observed after October 7th as part of its report.
Jonathan Greenblatt – CEO of the ADL – labelled this wave of Anti-Semitism a “national emergency” requiring immediate action from governors across America, stating: “Jewish Americans are being targeted for who they are at school, at work, on the street, in Jewish institutions and even at home.” He urged state leaders to publicly commit to combating anti-Semitic sentiment whilst developing strategies that increase understanding of Anti-Semitism, promote safety within Jewish communities and foster solidarity. The ADL also called for federal support for the Countering Antisemitism Act – a bill introduced in Congress earlier this month aimed at tackling hate crimes against Jews across America.