As 2024 draws to a close, Jewish communities worldwide continue to face an unprecedented wave of antisemitic incidents that began with the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.
What started as an immediate spike in antisemitism following October 7 has evolved into a sustained crisis that monitoring organizations are calling the most severe since World War II.
Key points:
More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents occurred between October 7, 2023, and September 2024 in the United States, including over 1,000 bomb threats made against Jewish institutions, compared to just 81 in the previous year.
The United Kingdom’s Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 4,103 antisemitic incidents across the UK in 2023, with 2,699 occurring on or after October 7 - by far the highest total ever documented in the country.
Educational institutions worldwide have become particular flashpoints. College campuses reported at least 1,200 antisemitic incidents in the US – a 500-percent increase from the previous year. At Sciences Po Paris, a Jewish student was blocked from entering a classroom by people shouting "She's a Zionist."
The digital sphere has emerged as a particularly virulent battleground. Jewish journalists and public figures have faced unprecedented levels of online harassment, including death threats and doxing, like in France and Australia.
Antisemitism since Oct. 7
Antisemitism in the United States
In the US, antisemitism reached historic proportions. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents occurred between October 7, 2023, and September 2024 – the highest number ever recorded in a single-year period since the organization began tracking in 1979. This represents a staggering 200 percent increase compared to the previous year's 3,325 incidents.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt noted, "Jewish Americans haven't had a single moment of respite" since October 7, instead facing "a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence."
Over 150 physical assaults have been reported, alongside more than 1,840 acts of vandalism and over 8,015 incidents of verbal or written harassment. Jewish institutions have been especially targeted, with more than 2,000 incidents occurring at synagogues and Jewish centers. And college campuses reported at least 1,200 antisemitic incidents – a 500-percent increase from the previous year.
In New Jersey, a teenager wearing an IDF sweatshirt was physically assaulted at a shopping mall. Perhaps most troubling has been the dramatic surge in bomb threats – over 1,000 such threats were made against Jewish institutions, compared to just 81 in the previous year.
These incidents have forced Jewish institutions worldwide to implement unprecedented security measures. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that while Jews make up approximately 2.4% of the American population, they account for about 60% of all religious-based hate crimes – a statistic he described as "jarring." Synagogues have hired armed guards for routine services, schools have installed new security systems, and community centers have enhanced their emergency response protocols.
Read more on why pro-Israel governments struggle to fight antisemitism
Antisemitism in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the surge has been equally alarming. The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 4,103 antisemitic incidents across the UK in 2023, with 2,699 occurring on or after October 7 - by far the highest total ever documented in the country. The manifestations of this hatred have been diverse and concerning. In London, a Jewish man was violently attacked after confirming his religion to a group of men who had questioned him. In another incident, three men accosted a group of Jews who were speaking Hebrew, asked if they were Jewish, and started chanting "Free Palestine" before summoning others who physically attacked them. At Yorkshire University, a Jewish chaplain and his family received death threats and harassment after a campaign was launched to oust him over his IDF service.
Antisemitism in Europe
The manifestations of antisemistim in Europe have been both diverse and deeply concerning. Religious spaces have been particularly targeted. In April 2024, two men were charged with terrorism after an arson attack on a synagogue near La Grande-Motte, France. In Oldenburg, Germany, an incendiary device was thrown at the synagogue door.Denmark reported a 1,244% increase in antisemitic incidents. In Vienna, arsonists targeted the Jewish section of the central cemetery. In Brussels, the home of Belgian Holocaust survivors was vandalized with "Gaza Free" and a swastika. At Sciences Po Paris, a Jewish student was blocked from entering a classroom by people shouting "She's a Zionist." Multiple Jewish schools in Paris received bomb threats, forcing evacuations.
Individual attacks have become increasingly brazen. In April 2024, an elderly Jewish man in Milan was assaulted while walking his dog, with the attacker stomping on his religious headwear while shouting antisemitic slurs. In March, a 15-year-old claiming allegiance to ISIS stabbed a Jewish man in Zurich.
In Amsterdam, a Jewish woman was accosted at her home and called a "child murderer" over her daughter's IDF service. In Paris, a Jewish man wearing a kippah was attacked as he left a synagogue. Jewish journalists and public figures have faced unprecedented levels of online harassment. France witnessed a 1,000% increase in the final quarter of 2023, with 1,242 incidents recorded - a pattern that has persisted through 2024.
Cultural spaces have also been targeted. In Mannheim, a photo exhibition documenting the October 7 attacks was vandalized with antisemitic symbols. In Pescantina, Italy, a memorial to Holocaust deportees was vandalized with Nazi flags and a flyer that read, "Israel, you have learned nothing from the Shoah... You are worse than the Nazis."
Perhaps most troubling has been the resurgence of historical antisemitic tropes and Holocaust distortion. In Warsaw, a far-right Polish lawmaker used a fire extinguisher to extinguish Hanukkah candles in parliament. In Vienna, eggs were thrown at the apartment door of a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor – the only door in the building with a mezuzah. In Chicago, a woman was arrested on multiple felony hate crime charges after swastikas were found on a Jewish school.
Antisemitism in Canada
In Toronto, Jewish schools were repeatedly targeted - one faced gunfire during Yom Kippur, while another was damaged by fire.
In Montreal, a billboard announcing the construction of a new Holocaust museum was defaced with hateful graffiti.
Antisemitism in Latin America
The global scale of this surge extends far beyond the US and UK Initial statistics from late 2023 have given way to even more alarming numbers throughout 2024. Argentina saw a 600% increase in January 2024 alone compared to the previous year. Brazil experienced a 961% increase during October 2023. For instance, the Beth Jacob synagogue in Santos, Brazil was defaced with pro-Palestinian graffiti.
Antisemitism in Australia
Australia reported a 738% increase in antisemitic incidents. In Melbourne, hundreds of Jewish Australian artists and their families were doxxed by high-profile pro-Palestinian activists.Even virtual community gatherings haven't been spared, with "Zoom-bombing" disrupting online religious services.
Wrap up
As 2024 comes to an end, the need for comprehensive responses online and offline has become increasingly urgent. The global nature of this surge suggests that effective solutions will require coordinated international efforts, combining improved security measures with enhanced education and awareness programs.
Without concerted action, there is growing concern that this surge in antisemitism could represent not just a temporary spike but a more permanent shift in the landscape of global hate.
Elon Gilad is an Israeli author, journalist, and linguist. His work focuses on uncovering the historical roots of contemporary issues, particularly in current affairs, Jewish history, and the Hebrew language. Gilad is the author of "The Secret History of Judaism." His analytical pieces draw on his diverse background to provide unique insights into today's complex issues, explaining current situations through the lens of historical development.