The newly released Annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2023 has revealed a disturbing increase in the number of antisemitic incidents across major Western nations compared to the previous year. The report, jointly published by Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), highlights a particularly steep surge following the October 7 attack, but also notes relative increases in most countries with sizable Jewish populations during the first nine months of 2023, before the outbreak of conflict.
"October 7 helped spread a fire that was already out of control," the report states grimly, referring to the escalation of violence that fueled a wave of antisemitic acts globally. "Some antisemitic attackers emphasize their problem is with Israel, not with Jews, and then attack Jews and Jewish institutions."
In the United States, home to the world's largest Jewish community, the New York Police Department recorded 325 anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2023, up from 261 in 2022. Similarly, the Los Angeles and Chicago police departments saw their figures jump to 165 and 50 incidents respectively, compared to 86 and 39 the previous year. The ADL's tally rose from 3,697 incidents in 2022 to a staggering 7,523 in 2023, with assaults increasing from 111 to 161 and acts of vandalism nearly doubling from 1,288 to 2,106.
The surge extended far beyond American shores. In France, antisemitic incidents skyrocketed from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, with physical assaults almost doubling from 43 to 85. The United Kingdom witnessed a similar trend, with incidents rising from 1,662 to 4,103 and assaults increasing from 136 to 266.
Other nations that experienced dramatic spikes included Argentina (427 to 598 incidents), Germany (2,639 to 3,614), Brazil (432 to 1,774), South Africa (68 to 207), Mexico (21 to 78), the Netherlands (69 to 154), Italy (241 to 454), and Austria (719 to 1,147). Australia, meanwhile, recorded 622 antisemitic incidents in just October and November of 2023, compared to 79 during the same period in 2022.
According to Prof. Uriya Shavit, Head of The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, "With bomb threats against synagogues becoming a daily occurrence, Jewish existence in the West is forced to fortify itself, and the more it does so, the more the sense of security and normalcy is undermined. What the fight against antisemitism needs now is efforts focused on the hubs of poison, and the presentation of measurable and attainable goals. Foremost, the reality in which big companies make big money by spreading big hate has to end. Responsibility for combatting antisemitism should be delegated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose officials are professionals who know the Jewish communities firsthand."
Dr. Carl Yonker, Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at TAU, wrote in the report, "The fringes in the United States are encroaching on the political center from both right and left, making combatting antisemitism much trickier."
ADL's CEO and National Director, Jonathan Greenblatt, said: "The aftermath of Hamas's horrific attack on Israel on October 7th was followed by a tsunami of hate against Jewish communities worldwide. Unprecedented levels of antisemitism have surged globally in the streets of London, New York, Paris, Santiago, Johannesburg and beyond. This year's report is incredibly alarming, with documented unprecedented levels of antisemitism, including in the US, where 2023 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents in the US ever recorded by ADL."
The Annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report serves as a sobering reminder of the persistent and rapidly escalating threat of antisemitism globally, exacerbated by regional conflicts but with far-reaching and deeply concerning ramifications.
