According to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual report, the most antisemitic attacks were reported last year, totaling 9,354.
The Center Square reported that the majority of incidents, 64%, occurred in ten states, eight of which are Democratic-led.
According to the ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in 2024, New York led the country with 1,437 incidents, accounting for 15% of the total. California ranked second, with 1,344 incidents.
The ADL monitors incidents against Jewish- or Israeli-Americans, as well as Jewish institutions and houses of worship, and categorizes them as harassment, vandalism, and assault.
Last year, New York “reached unprecedented levels in recent history, with assaults increasing by 52% in 2024 and a staggering 583% over the past five years,” according to the ADL.
New York, which has the largest Jewish population in the United States, was responsible for nearly one-third of all antisemitic incidents nationwide.
Also, “the targeting of Orthodox Jews has become particularly concerning, with Brooklyn alone – home to numerous Orthodox Jewish communities – accounting for 39% of all assaults in the state,” the report states. This reflects “a dangerous pattern of escalating violence against visibly Jewish individuals.”
The majority of incidents, 58%, were related to Israel, which is consistent with national trends.
Notably, incidents increased in Democratic-controlled states as a result of higher education institution policies that allowed pro-Hamas rioters to take over college campuses with little to no consequences for attacks on Jewish students.
Antisemitism on college campuses in New York increased by 163% over the course of the year, with New York City accounting for 66%. Of these, 27% occurred at Columbia University and Barnard College alone.
“There were more incidents at colleges and universities in New York than in any other state.” Columbia University became the epicenter of campus antisemitism during the spring 2024 encampments, with Jewish students reporting harassment, intimidation, and denial of access to campus facilities, according to the ADL.
“Similar incidents at New York University further contributed to New York’s position as the national leader in campus antisemitism.”
On his ninth day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to combat anti-Semitism.
Following the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, Trump stated that a “unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence [was unleashed] against our citizens, particularly in our schools and on our campuses.” Jewish students have been subjected to unrelenting discrimination, including denial of access to campus common areas and facilities such as libraries and classrooms, as well as intimidation, harassment, physical threats, and assault.”
His administration began targeting higher education institutions under investigation by Congress for some of the worst violence, including Columbia University, Harvard, and others.
This includes withholding billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants from higher education institutions unless they adopt policies prohibiting antisemitism, pro-Hamas riots, and the targeting of Jewish students on their campuses.
In March, Trump’s DOJ announced that Columbia was being investigated for allegedly sheltering illegal foreign nationals, and that its antisemitism task force would be visiting ten universities where Jewish students had been most violently attacked, according to The Center Square. Columbia and NYU topped the list, which also included UCLA, Cal Berkeley, and Southern Cal from California.
Not long after, Columbia announced that it would comply with Trump administration demands. UCLA also launched an anti-antisemitism initiative, declaring its commitment to “extinguishing it in its entirety,” according to The Centre Square.
Last year, antisemitic incidents increased in California, with the highest numbers reported in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.
According to the report, California experienced a spike in bomb threats in January and an increase in antisemitic incidents in April. The ADL found that incidents targeting Jewish institutions increased by 57% over the year, while bomb threats increased by 116%.
According to the ADL report, antisemitic incidents increased by 69% on California college campuses this year, while assaults increased for the third year in a row, up 10% from the previous year and 154% since 2022.
