Reports suggest spike in antisemitic crime since Israel-Hamas war

The Anti-Defamation League released a report Wednesday suggesting antisemitic incidents have risen by nearly 400 percent since the Israel-Hamas war began earlier this month. The group’s data showed 312 reported antisemitic incidents, including harassment, vandalism, and assault, between the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7 and Oct. 23. Nearly 200 incidents were directly related to the war. Muslims have also been subject to hate crimes since the war broke out. Authorities said a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Chicago was fatally stabbed in his home by his family’s landlord. The Will County Sheriff's Office believes the boy and his mother, who survived her wounds, were targeted for their faith.

What is being done in response? U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed last week that the Justice Department has been monitoring more threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities since the war began. President Joe Biden also denounced antisemitism and Islamophobia during an address last week, asking Americans to remain “a beacon to the world.” A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on National Security held a hearing Wednesday to discuss global religious persecution. Representatives heard from four experts who briefly mentioned the spike in antisemitic actions but mainly addressed the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and abuses against women in the Middle East. 

Dig deeper: Read Daniel Darling’s column in WORLD Opinions on anti-semitism and its Christian enablers.