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This Is How America Can Unite Against Antisemitism
Jewish Americans and supporters of Israel gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC on Nov. 14, 2023 for the “March for Israel” rally. Photo: Dion J. Pierre/The Algemeiner
Hamas’ brutal terror attack on October 7 created shockwaves that are still being felt across the globe. According to American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report, 78% of American Jews feel less safe in the United States as a result of the massacre.
Our report underscores the painful reality that antisemitism is a longstanding, serious threat in the US, which has become even more dangerous since October 7. We have seen a dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents across the country, including attacks on Jewish businesses, Jewish students, and Jewish institutions.
President Biden rightfully recognized the need for a national mobilization against antisemitism even before the Hamas massacre, and AJC’s Task Force to Implement the U.S. National Strategy is working with the administration to ensure that the US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released last May, is implemented. We need tangible results in this time of crisis.
AJC’s Task Force has shared data from the State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report with staff from the White House and numerous Federal agencies, and we were able to share statistics that relate to the work of specific US agencies.
We asked American Jews and the general population how important it is for hate crimes, including antisemitic crimes, to be reported to a Federal database by local law enforcement. Nine in ten said it was.
Reporting is currently voluntary, which presents a problem. The FBI needs robust data to allocate appropriate resources to fighting antisemitism. Our findings can bolster the FBI’s pleas for data, give Congress impetus to pass bills like the bipartisan Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act, and help convince reluctant local law enforcement agencies to do better.
Jewish people and businesses are being targeted and need our support. One in five local Jewish businesses have been targeted by antisemitism through threats, graffiti, broken windows, or other attacks over the past five years, which takes a toll on our communities’ economic health.
As AJC continues our partnership with the Small Business Administration, these statistics highlight the need to address this issue by ensuring that small businesses have the resources they need to address antisemitism and other forms of hate.
But Jew-hatred isn’t limited to the private sector. Schools and universities have become hotbeds of antisemitic incidents. For example, one in four Jewish students said they changed their behavior out of the fear of antisemitism, and one in five felt or were actively excluded from a club or program because of antisemitism. In 2022, that number was 12%, representing a jump of eight percentage points in just one year.
This data is crucial in our conversations with college presidents and administrators, as well as with the Department of Education, as they continue to work with these schools and on Title VI enforcement.
Antisemitism on social media is also of major concern. Since October 7, 62% of American Jews shared that they saw antisemitism on social media, with 56% seeing it more than once. AJC is using this data to urge platforms to protect Jewish users online. We are also bringing these stats to Congress as we push for legislation improving accountability and transparency.
As we — along with other organizations — continue our work with government officials and community leaders at every level, each of us can also take action to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people. Here are three steps you can take:
1. Use your voice to influence Congress. Join us in urging Congress to take decisive action to ensure the full implementation of the US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
2. Educate yourself about antisemitism. You can see our annual report here, and there are countless other resources online to learn from.
3. Stand up against antisemitism in your community. Your voices are needed at the local, State, and Federal level.
Please join us and become a participant in the urgent fight against antisemitism.
Julie Rayman is the American Jewish Committee’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs.
The post This Is How America Can Unite Against Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.