Anti-Defamation League
In 2024, the United States experienced a record-breaking surge in antisemitic incidents, with a total of 9,354 cases reported—the highest number ever recorded in the 46-year history of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. This marks a 5% increase from 2023, when 8,873 incidents were documented.
At the same time, coinciding with Holocaust Remembrance Day, Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, in collaboration with the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights and Justice, has published the Annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2024.
The 160-page report, compiled by a team of 11 expert researchers, offers an in-depth analysis of global antisemitic trends and incidents over the past year. Now in its 25th year of publication, the annual study is widely recognized as the most authoritative and frequently cited source on global antisemitism, providing critical insights for policymakers, academics, and human rights advocates around the world.
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The data collected by the ADL, said the organization, confirms a troubling trend: antisemitism is no longer a short-term reaction to major events like the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, but a persistent and growing threat to American Jewish communities. Incidents were reported in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., highlighting the nationwide scale of the problem and emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated efforts to combat hate and protect vulnerable communities.
In 2024, anti-Israel sentiment played a central role in fueling a historic surge in antisemitic incidents across the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest audit. For the first time in the ADL’s 46-year reporting history, a majority of antisemitic incidents (58%, or 5,452 cases) included references to Israel or Zionism, signaling a dramatic shift in how geopolitical conflict is influencing domestic antisemitism.
While the ADL distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism, the report notes that extremist rhetoric and conspiracies tied to the anti-Israel movement have increasingly crossed the line. These attacks have spanned the political spectrum, with hate speech and threats referencing Israel often used as a pretext for targeting Jews.
A significant number of antisemitic incidents occurred in and around anti-Israel protests, frequently led by organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Notably, over half of all antisemitic vandalism included language attacking Zionism or referencing the Israeli state. White supremacist groups also amplified anti-Israel narratives, with Patriot Front leading in mentions among far-right perpetrators.
College campuses emerged as hotbeds of antisemitic activity, experiencing an 84% spike with 1,694 incidents reported—making up nearly 20% of all U.S. antisemitic cases for the year. The data underscores the growing challenge of combating antisemitism as it becomes increasingly entangled with anti-Israel activism nationwide.
As for the Tel Aviv University study, according to the Report’s chief editor, Prof. Uriya Shavit, “Around the world, levels of antisemitism remain significantly higher compared to the period before October 7. However, contrary to popular belief, the Report’s findings indicate that the wave of antisemitism did not steadily intensify due to the war in Gaza and the humanitarian disaster there. The peak was in October-December 2023, and a year later, a sharp decline in the number of incidents was noted almost everywhere. The sad truth is that antisemitism reared its head at the moment when the Jewish state appeared weaker than ever and under existential threat.”
A first-of-its-kind study in the Report analyzes the prominent antisemitic elements in a fiction novel, “The Thorn and the Carnation”, written by Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attack, while in Israeli prison. Sinwar’s book is offered for sale in different countries, including Western, as a peek into the mind of a “freedom fighter.” The novel expresses deep-seated hatred of Jews based on religious grounds, and a totalistic rejection of any prospect of reaching a peace agreement with them.
