Reports find explosion in antisemitic incidents in U.S. since Oct. 7 attacks

Experiences of antisemitism spiked in the United States following the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists, with a particularly dramatic increase on college campuses, multiple reports found.
Surveys published on Monday by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Anti-Defamation League revealed an increase in anti-Jewish sentiment not seen in decades.
The Anti-Defamation League reported the highest number of antisemitic incidents in a single year since it began tracking 45 years ago. More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents were reported to the ADL between Oct. 7, 2023 and Sept. 24, 2024, including over 8,000 incidents of verbal harassment, nearly 2,000 incidents of vandalism and over 150 incidents of physical assault. This represents a more than 200% increase from the 3,325 total incidents reported to the organization during the same period a year before.
“(Since Oct. 7), Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. “Instead, we’ve faced a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere.”
The Combat Antisemitism Movement reported that 61% of American Jews had experienced at least one form of antisemitism since Oct. 7, leading to a 15% increase in the number of American Jews who say they feel less safe compared to four years ago. Nearly 40% of the 1,075 respondents said they had seen anti-Jewish vandalism since Oct. 7, more than a quarter (26%) said they had been made to feel unwelcome because they were Jewish on at least one occasion, 16% said they had been harassed online because they were Jewish and 7% said they had been physically threatened or attacked because they were Jewish.
“This survey emphasizes the number of Jews impacted by antisemitism rather than just the number of incidents,” said Ira Sheskin, a director at the University of Miami’s Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies, which conducted CAM’s survey. “The results are deeply concerning and highlight the need for immediate action to address rising antisemitism in America.”
The release of these results coincided with the one-year anniversary of the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. On Oct. 7, 2023, several thousand militants crossed into Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and massacred about 1,200 Israeli citizens, taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.
Following Israel’s declaration of war on Oct. 7 and its subsequent bombing of Gaza, thousands of U.S. university students were arrested during demonstrations on college campuses to protest Israel’s military campaign and to express support for Palestinian statehood. The protests have at times featured antisemitic themes and support for anti-Israel terrorist organizations.
Of the 10,000 antisemitic incidents reported to the Anti-Defamation League in the year subsequent to Oct. 7, at least 1,200 occurred on college campuses, the group’s report said. This represents a 500% increase from the 200 incidents reported during the same period a year earlier. Over 3,000 of all reported incidents happened during anti-Israel rallies, which the group said regularly featured support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis — Iran-backed terrorist groups whose mission explicitly includes the destruction of Israel.
Of the 10,000 antisemitic incidents reported to the Anti-Defamation League in the year subsequent to Oct. 7, at least 1,200 occurred on college campuses, the group’s report said. This represents a 500% increase from the 200 incidents reported during the same period a year earlier. Over 3,000 of all reported incidents happened during anti-Israel rallies, which they said regularly featured support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis — Iran-backed terrorist groups whose mission explicitly includes the destruction of Israel.
Muslim Americans have also reportedly experienced an increase in hateful conduct since Oct. 7. Between October 2023 and June 2024, the Council on American-Islamic Relations received over 8,500 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents, a more than 100% increase from the roughly 4,200 incidents recorded during the same time period a year earlier.
Over the past 12 months, Israel has waged an aggressive military campaign across the Gaza Strip, a densely populated area of over 2 million residents. The Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under Hamas, reports that more than 40,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, including many civilians. Israel’s military has carried out extensive bombings of residential areas, saying that Hamas militants constructed bases under apartment buildings, hospitals and schools.