A record number of antisemitic incidents were documented in the United States in 2021, particularly in the aftermath of a deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas that left a ripple effect worldwide.
There were more than 2,700 antisemitic incidents reported in the U.S. in 2021, a 35% increase from the year before, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Of these attacks, 88 were cases of physical assault, a 167% increase from those reported in 2020.
“When it comes to antisemitic activity in America, you cannot point to any single ideology or belief system,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the ADL, in a statement. “But we do know that Jews are experiencing more antisemitic incidents than we have in this country in at least 40 years, and that’s a deeply troubling indicator of larger societal fissures.”
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The rise in antisemitic incidents also occurred at Jewish institutions, including a 61% increase in attacks at synagogues, according to the data. Antisemitic cases increased at educational institutions, with reports of attacks rising 106% at K-12 schools and 21% on college campuses.
Several of the reported incidents occurred during a surge in antisemitic attacks in the weeks following the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, and hate crimes against Jews were reported worldwide. About 387 attacks were recorded in the U.S. throughout May 2021, with 297 occurring between May 10, the start date of the conflict, through the end of the month, a 141% increase compared to the same time period in 2020.
“While we have always seen a rise in antisemitic activity during periods of increased hostilities between Israel and terrorist groups, the violence we witnessed in America during the conflict last May was shocking,” Greenblatt said. “Jews were being attacked in the streets for no other reason than the fact that they were Jewish, and it seemed as if the working assumption was that if you were Jewish, you were blameworthy for what was happening half a world away.”
Data show two other spikes in November and December. Nearly 18% of the attacks reported in 2021 were committed by domestic groups, according to the report, particularly those influenced by right-wing extremist ideologies.
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Reports from the American Jewish Committee in November found roughly a quarter of Jewish people in the U.S. have experienced some form of antisemitism, with almost 40% noting they have changed their behavior out of fear of being targeted.
The data gathered by the ADL includes both criminal and noncriminal reports of harassment through information given by victims, law enforcement agencies, and other community organizations.
