Number of anti-Semitic acts hits record high, report says

“The consequences of the horrible Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 were followed by a tsunami of hatred against Jewish communities throughout the world,” said the director of the American NGO which initiated this report.

An alarming situation. In its annual report, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed alarm on Sunday, May 5 “unprecedented level” of anti-Semitic acts recorded in 2023. According to this American NGO, the war between Hamas and Israel is fueling a “fire that was already out of control”.

The annual report of the ADL, the main Jewish rights group, notes that anti-Semitic incidents had increased before the war in the Gaza Strip broke out after the deadly October 7 attacks. “The aftermath of the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 was followed by a tsunami of hatred against Jewish communities around the world”said Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the ADL.

“Incredibly alarming”

“This year’s report is incredibly alarming, with unprecedented levels of documented anti-Semitic acts, including in the United States, where 2023 saw the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents ever recorded by the ADL.”, he added. Written jointly with Tel Aviv University, the report indicates that anti-Semitic incidents in 2023 were far higher than 2022 figures in most countries with significant Jewish minorities, including the United States, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.

The ADL recorded 7,523 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2023, compared to 3,697 in 2022. These acts include harassment, vandalism and attacks against Jewish-owned businesses, Jewish institutions and organizations and Jewish students. By adopting a contested methodology that includes anti-Zionist rhetoric, activism and calls for “resistance” in the Palestinian territories, the report shows 8,873 incidents in the United States in 2023, including 5,204 between October 7 and the end of 2023.

In France, the number of anti-Semitic attacks increased from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, with physical attacks increasing from 43 to 85, according to this report. In the United Kingdom, the number of incidents rose from 1,662 to 4,103, including 266 physical assaults, according to the ADL, which cites figures from the Community Security Trust in the United Kingdom.