Antisemitic Hate Crimes Account for Nearly 70% of Religious Bias Incidents in U.S., Reaching Record Highs

Antisemitic hate crimes in the United States have reached unprecedented levels, with the Jewish community, representing just 2% of the U.S. population, becoming the target of nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes. This alarming trend persists even as overall hate crime incidents show signs of decline, according to recent data from federal agencies and advocacy groups.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported a significant surge in anti-Jewish bias incidents. In 2023, 1,832 anti-Jewish hate crimes were recorded, marking a 63% increase from the previous year and the highest number since the FBI began tracking such data in 1991. The trend continued into 2024, with 1,938 anti-Jewish incidents reported, an additional 5.8% rise, solidifying these as the highest numbers ever recorded by the FBI.

Further underscoring the severity of the issue, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks both criminal and non-criminal antisemitic acts, documented 8,873 incidents in 2023, a 140% jump from 2022. This figure represents the highest number since the ADL began its tracking in 1979. In 2024, the ADL reported a further 5% increase, reaching 9,354 incidents, including a 21% rise in antisemitic assaults.

The disproportionate targeting of the Jewish community highlights a deepening crisis. As Representative Ritchie Torres stated in a recent tweet, > "The Jewish community makes up just 2% of the U.S. population, yet it is the target of 70% of all religion-based hate crimes." He added, > "The evidence is painfully clear: antisemitism in America has metastasized into a crisis. To ignore it is not neutrality but complicity." This surge has been particularly pronounced following the October 7th attacks in Israel, leading to a worldwide increase in antisemitic incidents.

Advocacy organizations like the ADL and the Arab American Institute (AAI) emphasize that official statistics likely underreport the true scope of the problem, calling for improved reporting mechanisms. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, remarked that the record-high numbers are "consistent with the Jewish community’s current lived experience," urging government and leaders to "enact adequate measures to protect all Americans from the scourge of hate crimes." Lawmakers are being pressed to pass legislation such as the Improved Reporting to Prevent Hate Act to ensure more accurate data collection and better address this escalating issue.