Driven in part by reactions to the Israel-Hamas war, 2023 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents against Jewish Americans ever recorded by the Anti-Defamation League since the Jewish civil rights group began tracking attacks in 1979, USA Today reports. The number of antisemitic incidents recorded by the organization far exceeded any other annual tally in the past 45 years. The ADL tracked 8,873 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the U.S. last year, a 140% increase from 2022. This marks a significant increase from the early 2010s, when antisemitic incidents recorded by the group were at their lowest levels. Since 2014, the annual number of incidents has risen consistently, setting new records in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2023.
"Despite these unprecedented challenges, American Jews must not give into fear,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt “Even while we fight the scourge of antisemitism, we should be proud of our Jewish identities and confident in our place in American society.” Of the nearly 8,873 incidents the ADL tracked last year, 5,204 of them took place after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which left 1,200 people dead and hundreds taken hostage. The ADL said that for the first time, antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism constituted the majority of painful moments recorded by the group. These kinds of incidents accounted for 59% of the record in October and 60% in November. In total, 36% of incidents the ADL tracked last year directly related to Israel or Zionism. In contrast, only 7% in 2022 included similar references.