NEW YORK (AP) – The number of anti-Semitism cases in the United States reached record highs last year, pointing to 58% of 9,354 incidents related to Israel, particularly 58% of chants, speeches and signs at rallying protests against Israeli policy, according to the Prevention League.
ADL, which has produced a 46-year annual tally, said it was the first time that Israel-related incidents (5,422 in 2024) accounted for more than half of the total. The main reason is broad opposition from Israel Gaza’s military response After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ADL’s findings add epic debate to the fierce and divisive debate among American Jews and others to a degree that should be viewed as anti-Semitism.
Political background
The debate spread as President Donald Trump’s administration formed it Punitive moves against universities It considers it too loose for the fight against anti-Semitism and is attempting to deport some pro-Palestinian campus activists.
The outcome for many Jewish leaders is a balancing act. It not only condemns the astonishing behavior of anti-Semitism, but also what they consider to be the exploitation of problems to target individuals and institutions they dislike.
“The fear of anti-Semitism is just and realistic, and I don’t want to see the real fear being abused to undermine democracy,” said Amy Spitanic, CEO of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs. “The vast majority of American Jews feel they can believe that two things are true at the same time.”
The ADL said in a new report that it was “heed not to blend popular criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activities with anti-Semitism.” However, there is a gray area. For example, ADL claims that Zionism’s mistress – The movement to establish and protect the Jewish state in Israel is a form of anti-Semitism, but some Jews Critics of Zionism And ADL itself.
The incidents at the anti-Israel rally counted as anti-Semitism in the new ADL tally include “justification or glory of anti-Semitistic violence, promotion of classic anti-Semitistic ratio trope…, signs on par with Judaism or Zionism and Nazism.” It also counted the Hamas attacks on Israel and the congratulations of “supporting non-attitude towards terrorism.”
“In 2024, hatred of Israel was the driving force behind anti-Semitism across the United States,” said Oren Segar, who leads ADL’s efforts to combat extremism and terrorism.
Keeping Jewish students safe
The report portrays university campuses as a general venue for anti-Semitism cases, saying many Jewish students “face hostility, exclusion and sometimes physical danger due to their identity and beliefs.”
Those students’ experiences were recalled by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of Reform Judaism, a group under the umbrella of over 800 North American reform congregations, as they discussed the complexities that arise from current anti-Semitism-related developments.
“The students on campus have an obligation,” Jacobs said. “Can they go to Cedar? Can they wear a yalmurke and feel safe?”
“At the same time, this current administration weaponized the fight against anti-Semitism by undermining the central democratic system,” Jacobs added.
He mentioned detention and threatened deportation. Mahmoud Khalil30-year-old graduate student who served as a negotiator and spokesman for pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University. Halil has been in custody since March 8th despite not facing criminal charges.
“We need a legal case. Not only does he like to say it, Jacobs said, “It’s the rule of law, and the legitimate process that keeps Jews safe. If it’s damaged for the Palestinians, then it’s damaged for all of us.”
ADL criticism
ADL has discouraged some progressive Jewish leaders by welcoming Colombia’s silence It praised the Trump administration’s demands in March and initially targeted campaigns targeting pro-Palestinian activists such as Halil.
Recent critics of ADL include Michael Ross, First Jewish president of Wesleyan University. Political commentators Peter Beinart;Professor Columbia James Shamashe has urged fellow professor Jews to oppose compliance with university management needs.
Written by Washington Post columnist Matt Bye Skas column About the ADL on April 1st.
“You can’t call a US civil rights group now — let alone a minority civil rights group that has been brutally kicked out around the world.
Two days later, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote Opinion piece Ajwishphilanthropy is trying to avert ADL from the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.
“As an organization that has fought for minority communities for over 100 years, ADL is extremely sensitive to the importance of being able to express all views. “We should hold people accountable for real crimes, not Orwell’s thinking criminals.”
“We are innocent until proven guilty, so we can protect the civil liberties of Jewish students despite maintaining the civil liberties of those who protest, harass or attack,” he added. “Sacrificing constitutional freedom in the pursuit of security undermines the very foundations of the diverse and pluralistic societies we seek to defend.”
Beyond Israel-related cases, these were one of the other findings in the new ADL report.
– The total number of anti-Semitism incidents in 2024 has increased by 344% from five years ago.
– 196 cases, targeting over 250 people, were classified as assaults. These attacks were not fatal.
– 2,606 cases were classified as vandalism. SW was present in 37% of these cases.
– There were 647 bomb threats, most of which targeted synagogues.
– Anti-Semitism incidents have occurred in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia. More than 10% of the incidents occurred in New York City.
– There were 962 “anti-Semitic propaganda cases” related to white supremacist groups. Three groups, Patriot Front, Goyim Defense League, and The White Lives Matter Network, were responsible for 94% of this activity.
The ADL says its annual report tallies crimes and non-criminal behaviours of harassment, vandalism and attacks against individuals and groups reported to the ADL, as assessed by victims, law enforcement, media organizations and ADL experts.
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Associated Press Religious Reporting is supported through the Associated Press collaboration With funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., the AP is in a conversation by taking sole responsibility for this content.
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