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The Empire State of Jew Hate
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivering remarks on major legislation requiring colleges and universities in the state to strengthen hate crime policies. Photo: Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City are multiplying. That’s the takeaway from last week’s release of the NYPD’s end-of-year crime report, showing that of the 641 hate crimes documented by the police in 2024, 54 percent targeted Jews.
That Jews comprise nearly 12 percent of New York City’s population, yet account for over half of the region’s hate crimes, suggests a failure on the part of politicians, including Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), to address anti-Jewish animus with the urgency and immediacy it warrants.
The report’s findings are attributed to a confluence of factors, which include weak leaders who are more inclined to defend criminals than protect Jews, and demographic shifts caused by a migration of students and citizens from countries that are hostile to Judeo-Christian interests.
As such, the statistics in the NYPD report should surprise no one — especially Jewish New Yorkers, whose encounters with antisemitism can occur at any time and on any avenue.
Whether it’s coming across a poster with a swastika scrawled across a Jewish hostage, or walking past a cohort of keffiyeh-clad agitators who threaten and shout vile hate at anyone perceived as Jewish or pro-Israel, it’s clear that antisemitism is going unchallenged in New York City.
Once thought to be minor conflagrations confined to the Orthodox enclaves of Crown Heights and Borough Park, a resistance to confronting antisemitism with meaningful action has activated a generation of dangerous and emboldened pro-terror supporters.
And no Jew is off-limits.
Over the past year, older Jews have been spit on while walking the streets, and other innocents have been harassed while riding the subway.
In October, the co-chair of the Democratic Majority for Israel, Todd Richman, was assaulted by an antisemitic mob, leaving him bloodied and bruised. Over the last year, up to thousands of morally bankrupt disruptors have found it perfectly acceptable to block NYC streets, shut down bridges, and hurl their genocidal screeds outside of hospitals treating cancer patients grappling with significant illnesses.
Mayor Adams has repeatedly condemned antisemitism and expressed concern over the violent tenor of the pro-terror rallies. He has joined Jewish New Yorkers to advocate for Israel, and has met with some of New York’s Jewish university students to discuss their experiences with campus Jew hate — something that the state’s Jewish senior Senator, Chuck Schumer, has yet to do.
But performative displays of outrage are no substitute for a strong police response, something that the Mayor remains reluctant to deploy. At a roundtable for Jewish reporters last month, The New York Post noted that Mayor Adams told one attendee that there’s a need “for real balance to allow peaceful protests and violent protests.”
When asked about what steps the city can take to tackle anti-Jewish hate, the Mayor responded, “we’re not going to be able to police our way out of this,” and that “you’re still going to have that hate after being arrested.”
This statement lies at the crux of why antisemitic incidents are rising in NYC, as well as in other Blue state bastions that resist using the law to deter antisemitic criminals.
Liberal lawmakers like Adams, who may retain genuine affection for his Jewish constituents, are wedded to upholding weak-kneed policies that demonstrate fealty to a progressive dogma rather than a commitment to protecting Jews.
Like Mayor Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul has talked tough before Jewish audiences at synagogues and ceremonies, yet takes next to no prescriptive measures to combat the Jew hatred in her state. (Although one should ask how allowing hate crimes against Jews to be tolerated is actually “progressive.”)
For months, Governor Hochul has distanced herself from her previous half-hearted support for reinstating an anti-masking law, a move implemented in Republican-led Nassau County over the summer. This law is important, because removing an attacker’s anonymity would be the first step in helping reduce anti-Jewish hate crimes.
The statistics cited in the NYPD’s report also raise an issue that discomfits the liberal disposition of many New Yorkers — who remark that the rise in antisemitic attacks would have been unthinkable 10 or 20 years ago. And they’re correct.
A combination of a marked surge in foreign student enrollment in the city’s universities, coupled with “asylum seekers” manipulating America’s loosening refugee asylum laws to gain entry into the country, is part of what’s driving the political and cultural transformation of NYC.
New York City is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States, and Mayor Adams has intimated that his administration has worked to divert antisemitic protests away from Jewish neighborhoods. Still, when NYC’s antisemitic violence is being stoked by influential agitators who are foreign born, it must be acknowledged that the changing demographics of the city have also contributed to the altering social order of NYC.
And while there are many American Muslims who are patriotic and upstanding contributors to our country, there still exists a notable number of Muslim Americans rooted in an anti-Jewish belief system. A Pew poll in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre in Israel revealed that 49% of American Muslims agreed that “Hamas’s reasons for fighting Israel are valid.”
Jewish Americans must adapt to the evolving political and societal realities by lobbying our elected officials to do more to combat NYC’s disturbing spike in antisemitic assaults.
Jewish New Yorkers must cease behaving like unwanted stepchildren who are grateful and satiated with the slightest words of support from politicians whose policies simultaneously create conditions that render the city hostile for Jews. Democratic leaders in the state must stop their second-class treatment of Jewish Americans, whose many contributions to this country began in a city that is slowly turning its back on them.
Irit Tratt is a pro-Israel and American advocate residing in New York. Follow her on X @Irit_Tratt
The post The Empire State of Jew Hate first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Responds to Norway Donating Profits From World Cup Qualifying Matchup to Aid Gaza
Alexander Sørloth of Norway scores the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier football match between Israel and Norway on March 25, 2025, in Debrecen. Photo: VEGARD GRØTT/Bildbyran/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The Israel Football Association has issued a statement in response to a decision by its Norwegian counterpart to give profits from their mutual World Cup qualifiying match to support humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip.
Norway will host Israel on Oct. 11 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, in the next round of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Association said it “cannot remain indifferent” to humanitarian suffering in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, and announced that it will donate profits from the Oct. 11 game to aid humanitarian causes supporting Gaza.
“Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been exposed to for a long time,” said Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness. “Israel is part of FIFA’s and UEFA’s competitions and we have to deal with that. But we want to give the profit to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and that contributes with active emergency aid on the ground.”
The Norwegian Football Association said it will reveal at a later date which humanitarian organization it will donate to. The association added that it is working with local police and UEFA to ensure the safety of players and fans at the Oct. 11 match in Oslo and will be taking “some extra security measures,” such as limiting capacity at the game. Tickets go on sale next week.
The Israeli Football Association responded on Wednesday in a statement to Telegraph Sport. It urged the Norwegian association to “make sure the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting,” for which Norway has been criticized internationally. Israel also said it “would be nice” if the Norwegian Football Association would condemn the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“We do not usually advise associations regarding the use of match revenue, even if it is obtained thanks to a match against our proud national team, but we will deviate from our custom this time: it would be nice if some of the amount were directed to try to finding a condemnation by the Norwegian FA of the Oct. 7 massacre that claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli citizens and children, or action in favor of the release of 50 hostages – and please, make sure that the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting,” the Israeli Football Association said in a statement. It also said it aims to gain 3 points at the October match.
Israel has been unable to host matches on its home soil for international competitions because of security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war. It competed in a qualifying match against Norway in Hungary in March, which Norway won 4-2.
The Italian Soccer Coaches’ Association (AIAC) is demanding that Israel be suspended from international competitions ahead of Italy’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Jewish state that are set for September and October. Italy is set to play Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sept. 8, before hosting Israel in Udine on Oct. 14.
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Toronto Film Festival CEO Apologizes Again for Canceling, Then Rescheduling Screening of Oct. 7 Documentary
Skyline of Toronto, Canada. Photo Credit: Aaron Davis, Wikimedia Commons, June 2020.
The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has apologized again for the festival’s decision to cancel and then reschedule the screening of a documentary about the Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“I want to apologize for any hurt, frustration, or disappointment that our communication about the film has caused, and for any mischaracterizations that have taken root,” Cameron Bailey said at a pre-festival event on Wednesday, according to The Canadian Press. “We’re working now — and we will be for a while — to clarify things and to repair relationships.”
Bailey made the comments during his first public appearance since the festival stirred controversy last week when it removed the documentary “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” from its official lineup of films. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, the documentary recounts how retired Israeli Army general Noam Tibon traveled from his home in Tel Aviv to the Nahal Oz kibbutz to rescue his son and his family from Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack. The film combines news interviews with footage from the deadly massacre.
Bailey said on Wednesday that TIFF originally wanted to showcase the film out of “a desire to share a painful but important story with audiences who choose to witness it,” as reported by The Canadian Press. “That commitment to challenging, relevant screen storytelling remains strong,” he added.
Festival organizers pulled the film last week because of issues with “legal clearance of all footage.” The move sparked widespread outrage from Jewish groups, entertainment industry leaders, and politicians. In response, Bailey apologized on Aug. 13 for disinviting the film and said TIFF was committed to working with the filmmakers to meet the festival’s screening requirements.
The next day, Bailey and Avrich announced in a joint statement that the film has officially rejoined the festival. They reached a resolution that clears up “important safety, legal, and programming concerns” regarding the film after hearing “pain and frustration” from the public, according to their statement.
“TIFF’s communication around [the film’s] requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” Bailet and Avrich said. “Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their passion, honesty and belief in the importance of film.”
“The Road Between Us” is now slated to make its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10 at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Tickets go on sale for the public on Monday. TIFF will run from Sept. 4-14.
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Arizona Man Charged With Threatening Synagogues to Take Out ‘Jew Government’
Kevin Charles Pyles, 32, Glendale, Arizona, man accused of threatening violence against Jews. Photo: Screenshot.
Law enforcement officials in Arizona have arraigned a man from city of Glendale who is accused of threatening to commit antisemitic hate crimes and mass casualty events, according to local media reports.
Over four months, Kevin Charles Pyles, 32, declared to his social media followers that he hates Jews, people of color, and the state of Israel, adding that he believes the US is a “Jew government.” As Pyles’ delusions grew, so did his ambitions, and before long threatened to detonate explosives outside the local Sha’arei Shalom Congregation synagogue by shooting propane tanks.
According to a CBS affiliate, the disturbing tirades caught the attention of the Secure Community Network (SCN) — a nonprofit organization which partners with law enforcement to promote safety and thwart imminent threats to the Jewish community — which reported Pyles to Phoenix police.
“This is very painful. It’s not right to do that,” Rabbi Pinhas Nisanov of Sha’arei Shalom Congregation told KTVK-3TV in a statement. “We have to respect each, and each other, even other religions.”
In another statement to the outlet, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz of Arizona Jews for Justice said, “Hatred is growing and antisemitism is growing, and we all have to call it out wherever we see it. Wherever we see stereotypes and bias and hate, we have to call it out.”
Antisemitic activity across the country continues to challenge a once ironclad consensus that the US is a safe haven for the Jewish people.
On Monday, a telecenter operator who was, until Tuesday, employed by Fidelity Investments launched a volley of antisemitic insults at a Jewish journalist via social media after learning that her children attend a summer camp which fosters pride in Zionism.
“F—k you and f—k your kid who goes to Nazi summer camp!” Danielle Gordon, the now-former employee, wrote to Bethany Mandel, author and contributor to the “Mom Wars” Substack. “Free Palestine from you sick f—ks!”
The exchange began when Mandel publicly discussed the presence of a paraglider over the camp’s property which, due to lingering trauma caused by the memory of the use of paragliders in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel — which preceded an explosion of antisemitic incidents across the US — appeared to pose an imminent security threat. Gordon seemingly took umbrage at Mandel’s concern for Jewish life and the lives of her children, and hastily fired off the messages from an account which listed her legal name.
“I found it troubling that she sent such antisemitic vitriol when she’s just a working class, college educated white woman living in Denver — that is how far this rot has spread,” Mandel told The Algemeiner on Monday after her sharing of Gordon’s messages amassed over a million views on X. “Antisemitism has become normative discourse for people of her demographic.”
Mandel continued, “That word, Zionist, triggered her very much, and she had no qualms about coming at me, coming at my kids … There should be consequences for talking like this.”
This incident came just weeks after another sudden outburst of hatred against Jews.
Earlier this month, Eden Deckerhoff — a female student at Florida State University (FSU) — allegedly assaulted a Jewish male classmate at the Leach Student Recreation Center after noticing his wearing apparel issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“F—k Israel, Free Palestine. Put it [the video] on Barstool FSU. I really don’t give a f—k,” the woman said before shoving the man, according to video taken by the victim. “You’re an ignorant son of a b—h.” Deckerhoff has since been charged with misdemeanor battery.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Deckerhoff has denied assaulting the student when questioned by investigators, telling them, “No I did not shove him at all; I never put my hands on him.” However, law enforcement charged her with misdemeanor battery and described the incident in court documents as seen in viral footage of the incident, acknowledging that Deckerhoff “appears to touch [the man’s] left shoulder.” Despite her denial, the Democrat noted, she has offered to apologize.
Days later, an unknown person or group graffitied swastikas and other hateful messages on the grounds of the Israeli-American Council’s (IAC) national headquarters in Los Angeles, underscoring the severity of the antisemitism crisis in the US.
“F—k Jews,” one cluster of graffiti said.
“BDS,” the message added, referring to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel.
The wave of hate follows a pattern of year-on-year surges in acts of anti-Jewish bigotry.
In 2024, according to newly released FBI statistics, hate crimes perpetrated against Jews increased by 5.8 percent to 1,938, the largest total recorded in over 30 years of the FBI’s counting them. Jewish American groups noted that this surge, which included 178 assaults, is being experienced by a demographic group which constitutes just 2 percent of the US population.
A striking 69 percent of all religion-based hate crimes that were reported to the FBI in 2024 targeted Jews, with 2,041 out of 2,942 total such incidents being antisemitic in nature. Muslims were targeted the next highest amount as the victims of 256 offenses, or about 9 percent of the total.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.