This Week’s Topline

An Unprecedented Rise in Antisemitic Incidents Post-Oct. 7

Since the Hamas massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, U.S. antisemitic incidents reached the highest number of incidents during any two-month period since ADL began tracking in 1979, according to data released by ADL this week.

Between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, ADL recorded 2,031 antisemitic incidents, representing a 337-percent increase year-over-year. On average, over the last 61 days, Jews in America experienced nearly 34 antisemitic incidents per day. The data includes one fatality that occurred at an anti-Israel protest in Los Angeles, where a Jewish man was killed after being hit in the head by a pro-Palestinian protester, hundreds of incidents that targeted Jewish institutions such as synagogues, and hundreds more on college and university campuses.

As ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt noted, “The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate. Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”

An interactive map plotting where incidents occurred since Oct. 7 can be found here.

→ READ the full ADL update on this alarming spike in hate.

What’s News

Jewish Students: Embattled Around the Globe: Hostility towards Jewish students on campus in America has rightly been in the news. Less known, but no less worrying, this same phenomenon plagues Jewish students at universities around the world. And these incidents are occurring amidst a feeling of abandonment by other students. For example, the Union of Jewish Students sent a letter to hundreds of other student unions across the UK, asking them to sign a letter of support which condemned those who glorified Hamas’ attacks and who spread antisemitism. Only five student unions did...
→ Read the update from ADL International Affairs, reporting on challenges facing Jewish students in Europe, Latin America, Australia, Canada and South Africa.

BDS Activists Target “Zionist” Businesses and Individuals: BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaigns are resurgent in response to Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza following the terrorist group’s October 7 massacre. The latest campaigns directly target “Zionist” institutions, businesses or individuals — including popular actors — that BDS activists believe are somehow complicit in Israel’s military response. While some of the targeted business owners and individuals are not Jewish, most are, a reality that underscores the antisemitic impact of these protests. New targets of BDS activists include McDonald’s, Disney and Starbucks.
→ Read the new report from the ADL Center on Extremism.

Needed: Campus Commitments to Act Against Hate: Fallout continues after the recent Congressional hearings on antisemitism on college campuses. Penn’s President, Elizabeth Magill has resigned and as ADL noted this week: Harvard President Claudine Gay’s apology does not remedy her slowness in countering a dangerous and hostile campus environment. Words must be backed up by clear, decisive action that protects Jewish students, faculty, and constituents at Harvard against antisemitism. Otherwise, grave concern about Gay’s leadership will remain. We urge her to take proactive steps from ADL’s ‘10 Key Commitments Universities Can Make in the Wake of the Hamas-Israel War.’ This is another way ADL is working to ensure the White House Strategy to Counter Antisemitism is implemented.

Social Spotlights

@ADL

Stunning survey finding: 1-in-5 young Americans believe the Holocaust is a myth. This further demonstrates the urgent need for Holocaust education to teach the next generation about the dangers of #antisemitism, bias, and bigotry. #NeverAgain

@JGreenblattADL

We disagree profoundly with the decision to reinstate Alex Jones’ X account. Put plainly: you’re not restricting free speech when you keep someone from yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. Similarly, @X wasn’t limiting free speech when it refused to provide Jones a platform for his slanderous lies and dangerous conspiracy theories, which spark paranoia and incite violence. More info.

@ADL

Thank you @RutgersU for enforcing your policies and suspending Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) after reports of repeated violations by the group. There must continue to be consequences when conduct crosses the line on campus. (RT @ADL_NYNJ)

@ADL

We applaud the @WhiteHouse for removing CAIR from its National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism Fact Sheet following Nihad Awad's appalling & antisemitic comments. An organization that justifies & celebrates terror against Israel should have no role in this critical initiative.

@ ADL’s Incident Tracker

The @ADL_tracker feed of news and developments in antisemitism activities.

We are horrified by the vandalism of a Holocaust memorial in Greensboro, NC during the second night of Hanukkah — a time when the Jewish community is celebrating light and hope. We have been in contact with the community and condemn this vile act. (RT @ADL_WashDC)

— December 13, 2023 Read the full post

Alarming attack of a Jewish woman who was kicked unconscious in London yesterday. The incident is still being investigated by law enforcement as a potential hate crime. News link.

— December 10, 2023 Read the full post

We thank @BeverlyHillsPD for making an arrest, removing a direct threat to the community. Public hostility & dehumanization of Jews leads to this kind of violence. ADL will continue to work to help ensure that Jews in Los Angeles are safe as they practice their religion. (RT @ADLCalifornia)

— December 10, 2023 Read the full post