Why is there a rise in antisemitism?
Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.
Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.
Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.
Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in 2022 ever since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking incidents over the past four decades.
This report comes after a year of highly-reported incidents of antisemitism, including a hostage situation at a Texas synagogue, celebrities sharing antisemitic remarks on social media and former President Donald Trump dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.
“People don’t realize that it didn’t start and it didn’t end with the Holocaust. That, unfortunately, what is sometimes called the world’s oldest hate, still persists today,” Jackie Congedo, spokeswoman of the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust Center, said to sister station WLWT.
Emily Snider, ADL’s antisemitic incident specialist, says the spike began around 2016 and continues to rise.
“When you look at antisemitism over the last two thousand years, you tend to see spikes when there is civil and political unrest,” Snider said.
Antisemitism is defined as prejudice against or hatred of Jews. It takes many forms – including harassment, vandalism and assault. The ADL reports all three types of antisemitism have increased in 2022.
Explaining the rise in antisemitism
A study by ADL points to three main factors: intensified social and cultural tensions, the rise of radicalism on both the left and right and the increase of “echo chambers” on social media.
The normalization of antisemitic conspiracies have also contributed to the rise, according to ADL’s study. The spreading of antisemitic propaganda by white supremacists more than doubled, with 852 incidents in 2022 from 422 incidents in 2021.
Incidents were reported in every single state in 2022, with the highest in New York (580), California (518), New Jersey (408), Florida (269) and Texas (211).
Antisemitism dates back to ancient times. In the Middle Ages and early modern era, religious antagonism towards European Jews resulted in anti-Jewish legislation, expulsions and violence, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Nazis have built centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment. The Holocaust in the 1930s-1940s, which resulted in the persecution and murder of millions of European Jews, is the most extreme and violent example of antisemitism in history.
In 2018, a gunman stormed into Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and began shooting, killing 11 worshippers and injuring six others — marking it the worst antisemitic attack in American history. At the time, the synagogue was hosting members of the Tree of Life, New Light and Dor Hadash congregations for weekly Shabbat services.
Fighting against antisemitism
According to Snider, anti-bias education is critical to combatting forms of hate, including antisemitism.
“We do find Holocaust and genocide education to be a really effective tool in combatting not just antisemitism, but all forms of hate,” Snider said. “When you educate on how hate escalates, it helps change hearts and minds.”
Tools like ADL’s H.E.A.T. (Hate, Extremism, Antisemitism, Terrorism) map pinpoints where these incidents are happening, provide details to better understand the tactics extremists use, and further raise awareness to advocate for resources.
“Resources like increased funding for nonprofit security grants, so that way religious institutions including synagogues, mosques, churches have access to funds to harden targets. That way, we can all stay safe,” Snider said.
ADL also holds social media companies accountable for hate on their platforms through a campaign called the #StopHateForProfit campaign with the support of over 1,200 businesses, nonprofits and consumers.
While studies show there is a rise in antisemitism, Snider says there’s also an increase in support for the Jewish community.
“There are tons of resources, tons of people out there who are standing up against this and are very vocal about it,” Snider said.