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‘Persistent, Grim Reality’: Massive Rise in Antisemitic Incidents Recorded in US in 2024, New ADL Report Shows
Pro-Hamas protesters in Washington, DC on April 5, 2025. Photo: Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Antisemitism in the US surged to break “all previous annual records” in 2024, according to chilling new data released in the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents on Tuesday.
The ADL recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents last year — an average of 25.6 a day — across the US, creating an atmosphere of hate not experienced in the nearly thirty years since the organization began tracking such data in 1979. Incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault all increased by double digits, and for the first time ever a majority of outrages — 58 percent — were related to the existence of Israel as the world’s only Jewish state.
The Algemeiner parsed the ADL’s data, finding dramatic rises in incidents on college campuses, which saw the largest growth in 2024. The 1,694 incidents tallied by the ADL amounted to an 84 percent increase over the previous year. Additionally, antisemites were emboldened to commit more offenses in public in 2024 than they did in 2023, perpetrating 19 percent more attacks on Jewish people, pro-Israel demonstrators, and businesses perceived as being Jewish-owned or affiliated with Jews.
“This horrifying level of antisemitism should never be accepted and yet, as our data shows, it has become a persistent and grim reality for American Jewish communities,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “Jewish Americans continue to be harassed, assaulted, and targeted for who they are on a daily basis and everywhere they go. But let’s be clear: we will remain proud of our Jewish culture, religion, and identities, and we will not be intimidated by bigots.”
Antisemitic hate crimes kept federal and local law enforcement agents busy in 2024, as previously reported by The Algemeiner.
In November, for example, the US Department of Justice secured the conviction of a Massachusetts man, Joh Reardon, 59, who threatened to perpetrate mass killings of Jews. Over several months, Reardon called Jewish institutions across Massachusetts, proclaiming that he would kill Jewish men, women, and children in their houses of worship. His terroristic menacing included promises to plant bombs in synagogues in the cities of Sharon and Attleboro, as well as making 98 calls to the Israeli Consulate in Boston, a behavior which began on Oct. 7, 2023, and ended just days before his apprehension by law enforcement in January.
In New York City, the Jewish community in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn endured a harrowing wave of robberies. In one instance, three masked men attempted to rob a Hasidic man after stalking him through the neighborhood. Before then, two men beat a middle-aged Hasidic man after he refused to surrender his cell phone in compliance with what appears to have been an attempted robbery. Additionally, an African American male smacked a 13-year-old Jewish boy who was commuting to school on his bike in the heavily Jewish neighborhood, and less than a week earlier, an assailant slashed a visibly Jewish man in the face.
“In 2024, hatred toward Israel was a driving force behind antisemitism across the US, with more than half of all antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism,” said Oren Segal, ADL senior vice president for counter-extremism and intelligence. “These incidents, along with all those documented in the audit, serve as a clear reminder that silence is not an option. Good people must stand up, push back, and confront antisemitism wherever it appears. And that starts with understanding what fuels it and learning to recognize it in all its forms.”
Last year also saw college campuses convulsed by pro-Hamas demonstrations, which fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students, causing them to feel distracted and unsafe.
At Columbia University, members of Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) commandeered a section of campus and, after declaring it a “liberated zone,” lit flares and chanted pro-Hamas and anti-American slogans, according to reports. When the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrived to disperse the unauthorized gathering, hundreds of students reportedly amassed around them to prevent the restoration of order.
“Yes, we’re all Hamas, pig!” one protester was filmed screaming during the fracas, which saw some verbal skirmishes between pro-Zionist and anti-Zionist partisans. “Long live Hamas!” said others who filmed themselves dancing and praising the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization. “Kill another soldier!” they also shouted.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Persistent, Grim Reality’: Massive Rise in Antisemitic Incidents Recorded in US in 2024, New ADL Report Shows first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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New Pope Calls for Continued ‘Precious Dialogue’ Between Jews and Catholics
Pope Leo XIV holds an audience with representatives of the media in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, May 12, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
On Monday, Pope Leo XIV met with Jewish leaders and other representatives from the world’s religious traditions to nourish continued interfaith bridge-building.
Echoing a letter he sent to the American Jewish Committee on May 8 pledging to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations in the tradition of the church’s Second Vatican Council’s Nostra Aetate statement, the Pope emphasized that “because of the Jewish roots of Christianity, all Christians have a special relationship with Judaism.” He called the theological exchange between the two groups “ever important and close to my heart,” stating that “even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.”
Leo praised all the faith leaders in attendance at the meeting, saying that “in a world wounded by violence and conflict, each of the communities represented here brings its own contribution of wisdom, compassion, and commitment to the good of humanity and the preservation of our common home.”
Jewish groups in attendance at the Pope’s meeting included the American Jewish Committee (represented by Rabbi Noam Marans, director of Inter-religious Affairs), B’nai B’rith International, the Conference of European Rabbis, and the Jewish Community of Rome as represented by the city’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni. Marans gave Leo a Chicago White Sox hat, which inspired a big smile from the Chicago-born pontiff. “We’re starting off on the right foot,” Marans said.
“As an exponent of religious values and ethnical monotheism, it is hoped that Pope Leo will find common cause with Jewish organisations,” Zaki Cooper, vice-president of the Council of Christians and Jews, wrote in a Friday column in the United Kingdom’s Jewish News. “This could cover a range of moral issues such as the environment, the family, technology or anti-slavery. One of Pope Francis’ memorable interventions, in 2018, was to praise the value of Shabbat, saying ‘what the Jews followed, and still observe, was to consider the Sabbath as holy.’”
Yaron Sideman, Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican, said that he and Leo “both stand for something much bigger than geopolitical entities.” He said “you can’t separate dialogue with Jewish people and the state where half of Jewish people live. This is where it needs to be fundamentally restructured.”
In a Wednesday article for EJewishPhilanthropy.com, historian Stessa Peers summarized the efforts of recent Popes to nourish Jewish-Catholic brotherhood following the issuing of Nostra Aetate.
“Popes have taken meaningful steps toward repair. Pope John Paul II visited synagogues, met with Holocaust survivors and called Jews ‘our elder brothers,’” Peers wrote. “Pope Benedict XVI, born in Nazi Germany, continued that work. Pope Francis, who led the Church beginning in 2013, met regularly with Jewish leaders, condemned antisemitism unequivocally and prioritized healing. His comments on Jewish law were not always perfect, but he engaged sincerely with criticism and reaffirmed his respect. His presence at Jewish sites like the Western Wall and Yad Vashem shifted the tone of Catholic–Jewish relations.”
Rabbi Joshua Stanton, who leads the Jewish Federations of North America’s interfaith efforts, said that Leo “is known for working well with people quietly” and that he hoped for a “return to the direct, frank dialogue between friends that can take place behind closed doors.”
Adam Gregerman, co-director of St. Joseph’s Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, told OSV News that “the locus of many of the major improvements in Jewish-Christian relations since the Second Vatican Council have taken place in the U.S., owing above all to the size of these communities and the regular, fruitful interactions between them. It is thus encouraging to see the elevation of an American as pope.” He said that “given his roots in a diverse American society, I know many Jews are excited about his selection.”
Leo also emphasized the importance of Muslim-Catholic relations, calling the cross-cultural conversation “marked by a growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity, fostered by esteem for these our brothers and sisters who ‘worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to humanity.”
Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, wrote on X that “we look forward to continuing our collaboration with His Holiness in strengthening interfaith dialogue and promoting the values of human fraternity, in pursuit of global peace, coexistence, and a better future for all humanity.”
The post New Pope Calls for Continued ‘Precious Dialogue’ Between Jews and Catholics first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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New York City and Israel Sign Declaration of Intent for New Council to Foster Economic, Business Partnerships
A New York City Police officer monitors the “Israel Day on Fifth” parade in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat signed a Declaration of Intent on Monday to establish a joint initiative that will further economic and business ties as well as innovation between the two governments.
The New York City–Israel Economic Council will focus on fostering business partnerships between the city of New York and Israel in economic development, emergency management, education, and technology. It will help Israeli businesses and startups that want to establish a presence in New York City; support collaboration in sectors including environmental innovation, life sciences, and artificial intelligence; and coordinate participation in major business and technology conferences.
The council will meet regularly and will be comprised of representatives from the New York City Mayor’s Office and Israel’s Economic Mission to the United States. Adams’ Office for International Affairs is leading the initiative. The Declaration of Intent signed by Adams and Barkat on Monday is non-binding but highlights a commitment between the two governments to collaborate and build partnerships.
Mayor Adams said on Monday that the council will “serve as a gateway to the US market for Israeli businesses.”
“Today’s announcement of a Declaration of Intent reflects a proud tradition of New York City mayors collaborating with Israel, and will drive innovation, create jobs, and strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two governments,” the mayor added.
“The NYC–Israel Economic Council represents both strategic partnership and moral clarity,” said Moshe Davis, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, which was announced earlier this month. “As antisemitism rises globally, New York City is responding with substantive collaboration in key sectors like environmental innovation and artificial intelligence. This council will not only drive opportunity and growth, it will demonstrate that the world’s greatest city stands firmly with Israel and the Jewish people.”
New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
The post New York City and Israel Sign Declaration of Intent for New Council to Foster Economic, Business Partnerships first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jewish Simpsons Mural Defaced by Antisemitic, Pro-Palestinian Vandals at Shoah Memorial in Milan
The mural “The Jewish Simpsons Deported to Auschwitz” before and after it was vandalized. Photo: Provided
A mural on the external wall of the Shoah Memorial in Milan, Italy, that depicts the Simpsons family as Jews being deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp was recently defaced by pro-Palestinian vandals.
The pop art mural “The Jewish Simpsons Deported to Auschwitz” was created by contemporary Italian pop artist and activist AleXsandro Palombo and debuted on Jan. 27, 2023, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. It features Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson as Jews wearing outfits that feature a yellow Star of David badge with the word “Jude” in the center. Nazis forced Jews to wear a similar badge on their clothing during the Holocaust. Palombo’s team said the artist used contemporary figures such as the Simpsons to educate the public, especially younger generations, about the importance of remembrance and the duty to never forget the horrors of the Holocaust.
Pro-Palestinian vandals almost completely ripped off the images of Marge, Lisa and Maggie Simpson from the mural and replaced them with a message written in red paint that said “Free Pal,” which is short for “Free Palestine.” The Star of David badge on Homer’s overcoat was also torn off and the Star of David badge worn by Bart was covered in red paint.
“Little remains of the iconic work: only a grave antisemitic defacement, which has transformed a tribute to memory into an expression of hatred,” Palombo’s media relations team said on Sunday in response to the vandalism. “Today, [the] work has been brutally erased and turned into a disturbing political manifesto, steeped in antisemitism. This act is yet another stark reminder that antisemitic hatred is on the rise, even in places devoted to memory and reflection … At a time when antisemitism is surging globally, acts like this take on even greater gravity. This is not merely vandalism, but a deliberate attack on memory, culture, and the core values of human rights.”
Palombo has dedicated several murals over the years to Holocaust remembrance and antisemitism. They include depictions of Holocaust teenage diarist and victim Anne Frank wearing a concentration camp uniform and holding an Israeli flag while standing beside a Palestinian girl who burns the Hamas flag. Palombo also created a mural that depicted a boy from the Warsaw Ghetto reimagined as a hostage of Hamas terrorists.
After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack in southern Israel, Palombo unveiled a mural in Milan dedicated to Vlada Patapov, a young survivor of the Hamas attack at the Nova music festival. Shortly after its unveiling, the artwork was vandalized and Patapov’s head was erased.
A number of Palombo’s murals that feature Italian Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre, Sami Modiano and Edith Bruck have been repeatedly vandalized. In January, the Museum of the Shoah in Rome acquired several of Palombo’s murals that were vandalized and then restored. The artworks are part of the museum’s permanent collection and displayed in Rome’s ancient Jewish Ghetto, facing the Portico of Octavia.
The post Jewish Simpsons Mural Defaced by Antisemitic, Pro-Palestinian Vandals at Shoah Memorial in Milan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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