Antisemitic incidents in US hit record highs in 2024 over hatred of Israel

According to the newly released Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, in 2024, antisemitic incidents across the US reached their highest level ever recorded in the 46-year history of the survey. The ADL documented 9,354 incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault, marking a 5 percent increase from 2023, a 344 percent increase over five years, and an 893 percent surge over the past decade.

Antisemitic incidents were reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with New York (1,437 incidents) and California (1,344) topping the list. While states with large Jewish populations continued to report the highest number of incidents, states like Colorado and Virginia, with smaller Jewish communities, weren’t immune to the crisis.

For the first time in the survey, a majority of all recorded incidents in 2024 involved rhetoric or imagery related to Israel or Zionism. While the ADL does not count legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies as antisemitic, it identified a growing trend of anti-Israel activism crossing into overt antisemitism. Of the more than 5,000 anti-Israel rallies tracked by the ADL in 2024, 2,596 included antisemitic chants, signage, or speeches. Phrases such as “Death to Israel,” “From the river to the sea,” and “We don’t want no Zionists here” were frequently observed.

These rallies often became flashpoints for hateful rhetoric, assault, and vandalism. In one example, protesters in Teaneck, New Jersey, demonstrated outside a synagogue, shouting “Go back to Europe” and “Baby killers,” while spraying red paint on attendees.

College campuses were the epicenters of antisemitic activity and witnessed the steepest rise in incidents, with an 84 percent increase compared to 2023. A total of 1,694 incidents were recorded on US campuses, accounting for nearly one in five of all antisemitic incidents nationwide. Anti-Israel encampments and demonstrations were a major source of the spike, particularly during the spring semester and around the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Palestinian terrorist attack on Israel.

Demonstrators often justified or glorified violence against Jews, waved flags of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, and displayed signs equating Jewish symbols with Nazi imagery. At UCLA, protesters held up signs reading “Death 2 Zionism” and “Israelis are native 2 hell,” while chalk drawings instructed passersby to “step here” on Stars of David.

Jewish students frequently faced harassment, including threats and assaults. At DePaul University, a Jewish student was told, “Go back to Poland,” and at Yale, a protester allegedly jabbed a student in the eye with a Palestinian flag. These threats extended beyond protests: dorms and classrooms were vandalized, and campus organizations like Hillel and Chabad saw a marked rise in harassment and vandalism.

While antisemitic incidents at Jewish institutions dropped 14 percent from 2023’s record-breaking numbers, the level of activity remained twice as high as the annual average recorded in the survey before October 2023. Synagogues faced hundreds of bomb threats, often as part of coordinated campaigns. One spree in January 2024 saw over 100 synagogues targeted in just two days. The threats ranged from anti-Israel messages to explicit death threats such as “You Jews will pay for your crimes, we will end your lives.”

Vandalism and assaults at Jewish institutions also climbed. In Brooklyn, New York, a Jewish man was stabbed near the Chabad headquarters by someone yelling “Free Palestine.”

Antisemitic incidents in public spaces rose 19 percent in 2024, and commercial establishments, especially Jewish-owned businesses, were frequent targets. Jews were harassed in restaurants, stores, and on the streets, often by strangers who linked them to perceived global Jewish conspiracies or the Israel-Hamas War. In Brooklyn, a kosher restaurant saw patrons berated with slurs like “Jewish people are evil” and “Hitler was onto something.” Many Jewish business owners reported now having to contemplate whether to publicly identify as Jewish, display Israeli products, or enhance costly security measures.

The ADL also observed antisemitic tropes, such as blood libel, “Zionist media” conspiracies, and Holocaust inversion (equating Israel with Nazis)—moving from fringe spaces into more mainstream platforms. This includes city council meetings, public rallies, and university lectures.

Though perpetrators of antisemitism spanned the political spectrum, the report specifically called out far-left anti-Israel groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which together were linked to over 50 percent of antisemitic incidents at protests.