A majority of American Jews report changing their behavior out of fear of antisemitism, according to an annual American Jewish Committee report documenting antisemitism in America published Wednesday.

Some 56% of American Jews say they have avoided certain behaviors or activities because of fears of antisemitism, rising from a reported 46% in 2023, according to its “The State of Antisemitism in America 2024.”

It is the first analysis of the impacts of antisemitism on American Jews and U.S. adults during the full year following the Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

A total of 40% say they have avoided publicly wearing or displaying items that might identify them as a Jew—up from 26% in 2023. Some 37% say they have avoided posting content online that would identify them as a Jew or reveal their views on Jewish issues, compared with 30% in 2023. Another 31% say they have avoided certain places, events or situations out of concern for their safety or comfort as a Jewish person—up from 26% in 2023.

Ted Deutch, CEO of the AJC, told JNS that the survey data is a crucial tool in combating Jew-hatred.

“This data serves as a foundation for setting policy priorities and ensuring that leaders across sectors fully grasp the severity of the problem,” he said. “We take it and share it with leaders across the country. We will share it with the Trump administration, including members of Congress, and the bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism in the House and Senate, which plays a critical role in addressing this issue.”

According to the report, the vast majority (90%) of American Jews say antisemitism has increased either a lot (61%) or somewhat (29%) since Oct. 7, and one-third (33%) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism —in person or virtually—at least once in the last year.

‘These attacks on Israel resonate deeply’

The annual survey also includes a comparative component, measuring the general public’s views on antisemitism in the United States with those of the Jewish community.

According to the report, 93% percent of American Jews consider antisemitism in the country to be a problem, compared with 72% of the general public.

Deutch told JNS that while a high percentage of the general public recognizes hatred against Jews right now, its continued persistence indicates that not enough is being done to confront and battle the scourge.

“We need leaders across society—business leaders, technology leaders, government leaders and education leaders across the country—to make it clear that just as there would be zero tolerance for any other form of hatred directed at a group because of who they are, the same must be true for antisemitism,” he said. “That is the most important message.”

He continued, pointing out that “we’re having this conversation just a few days after the Super Bowl, where someone who was once, by any measure, a cultural icon, Kanye West, used the event to promote his website selling T-shirts with swastikas. Everyone should be outraged by that. Everyone should demand accountability and ensure that this is never viewed as acceptable. Instead, we’re seeing articles suggesting that while it was a problem, there were other issues that day as well.”

According to the report, 81% of American Jews say caring about Israel is very (51%) or somewhat (30%) important to what being Jewish means to them. Adults also recognize and understand the connection between Jewish identity and Israel, with 85% saying that the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic. This is in line with American Jews, with 85% saying the same.

Deutch told JNS that the new report might finally counter claims that anti-Zionism is distinct from antisemitism.

“It is critical to the conversation about what has transpired since Oct. 7. is that we acknowledge that for over 80% of American Jews, Israel is a central part of their Jewish identity,” he said. “So when people argue that calling for the destruction of the only Jewish state is not antisemitic, or when they protest in front of Jewish businesses in response to events in Gaza, or shout at Jews in the streets that Israel has no right to exist, we no longer have to guess whether that is antisemitism—it is.”

“We have seen protesters marching in support of terrorists who exist to slaughter Jews,” he said. “Now we also understand that these attacks on Israel resonate deeply with the Jewish community here. That is why it is so important to view all of this together and put an end to the idea that calling for the destruction of Israel—the one Jewish state—is somehow not antisemitic.”

Deutch told JNS that the survey data also suggests that Jewish Americans have become more affiliated with Jewish institutions since the Oct. 7 attacks.

“Since Oct. 7, we have seen this dramatic increase in the number of people in the Jewish community who have chosen to respond to this rise in antisemitism by standing up and declaring to their neighbors, their co-workers and the world that they are proud Jews, who will continue to live proudly as Jews in America, with their Jewish stars and their hostage tags and yellow ribbons—and all of the ways that they can show that they’re not going to let the antisemites win,” he said.

Published on Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:58:18 -0500. Original article link