Last week, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published its annual report tracking antisemitic trends in the United States. For the first time since the October 7 attacks, there is also some good news: the number of antisemitic incidents has declined — from roughly 9,000 incidents in 2024 to about 6,000 in 2025. However, this decrease in the number of incidents has not been accompanied by a decline in their severity — quite the opposite. While in 2024 there were 196 incidents classified as assaults (2% of all incidents), the following year saw 203 such incidents (more than 3% of all incidents). Thirty-two of those incidents involved deadly weapons, compared to 23 the year before. In other words, while fewer antisemitic incidents occurred, the likelihood that those incidents would be more severe increased. This may reflect the growing boldness of antisemites in the United States to translate their antisemitic views into physical attacks against Jews.
Despite all this, there is still a clear pattern according to which most incidents are classified as “harassment,” followed by “vandalism,” which requires perpetrators to take greater risks, while only a minority of incidents are classified as “assaults.” Most incidents — including most assaults — take place in public spaces visible to all, a reality that may cause Jews to feel uncomfortable displaying visible signs of their Jewish identity, as reflected in surveys conducted among American Jews.
Ironically, antisemitism on university campuses, which received extensive coverage in Israel, is actually showing a very positive decline of 83%. This appears to be due to the cooling of public protests at those institutions following the dismantling of anti-Israel encampments established on some campuses. This fact may point to the line between anti-Israel protest and antisemitism — a line that was crossed repeatedly during those demonstrations. The absence of such protests, therefore, also contributed to a decline in antisemitic incidents.
In contrast, the number of antisemitic incidents in schools remained relatively stable, standing at 825 compared to 860 in 2024. These incidents stem both from anti-Israel actors and from white supremacists, and include the harassment of Jewish students and the spraying of swastikas, among other acts. This trend suggests that efforts should focus not only on university campuses, but at a much earlier stage in young people’s development — schools — while also addressing the convergence of interests between far-right and far-left actors, both of whom have found this arena to be a convenient outlet.
Last week, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published its annual report tracking antisemitic trends in the United States. For the first time since the October 7 attacks, there is also some good news: the number of antisemitic incidents has declined — from roughly 9,000 incidents in 2024 to about 6,000 in 2025. However, this decrease in the number of incidents has not been accompanied by a decline in their severity — quite the opposite. While in 2024 there were 196 incidents classified as assaults (2% of all incidents), the following year saw 203 such incidents (more than 3% of all incidents). Thirty-two of those incidents involved deadly weapons, compared to 23 the year before. In other words, while fewer antisemitic incidents occurred, the likelihood that those incidents would be more severe increased. This may reflect the growing boldness of antisemites in the United States to translate their antisemitic views into physical attacks against Jews.
Despite all this, there is still a clear pattern according to which most incidents are classified as “harassment,” followed by “vandalism,” which requires perpetrators to take greater risks, while only a minority of incidents are classified as “assaults.” Most incidents — including most assaults — take place in public spaces visible to all, a reality that may cause Jews to feel uncomfortable displaying visible signs of their Jewish identity, as reflected in surveys conducted among American Jews.
Ironically, antisemitism on university campuses, which received extensive coverage in Israel, is actually showing a very positive decline of 83%. This appears to be due to the cooling of public protests at those institutions following the dismantling of anti-Israel encampments established on some campuses. This fact may point to the line between anti-Israel protest and antisemitism — a line that was crossed repeatedly during those demonstrations. The absence of such protests, therefore, also contributed to a decline in antisemitic incidents.
In contrast, the number of antisemitic incidents in schools remained relatively stable, standing at 825 compared to 860 in 2024. These incidents stem both from anti-Israel actors and from white supremacists, and include the harassment of Jewish students and the spraying of swastikas, among other acts. This trend suggests that efforts should focus not only on university campuses, but at a much earlier stage in young people’s development — schools — while also addressing the convergence of interests between far-right and far-left actors, both of whom have found this arena to be a convenient outlet.