Jews continue to be the most targeted religious group in the US, according to the FBI’s 2024 Hate Crime Report released this week.
A total of 1,938 anti-Jewish, single-bias hate crimes against 2,237 victims were recorded in 2024, representing 69% of all religiously motivated incidents in the country. This marks a 2% increase from 2023, when anti-Jewish hate crimes made up 67% of the total (or 1,832 incidents).
Of the anti-Jewish hate crimes, there were 67 cases of aggravated assault, 111 of simple assault, 672 of intimidation, 1,130 of destruction or damage, eight of arson, and 12 crimes against society. The majority of anti-Jewish crimes came from white offenders.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes dwarfed the next highest religious group – Muslims – with just 228 incidents.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes made up 18% of total nationwide
Anti-Jewish hate was also the second-highest overall motivation behind hate crimes, the highest being anti-black hate crimes, which made up 26% of the total number. Anti-Jewish hate crimes made up 18% of the total hate crimes in the US, followed by anti-gay (male).
California saw the highest number of hate crimes, followed by New Jersey and then New York. “Leaders of every kind – teachers, law enforcement officers, government officials, business owners, and university presidents – must confront antisemitism head-on,” said American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch.
“With the added climate of rising polarization and fading trust in democracy, American Jews are facing a perfect storm of hate. Whether walking to synagogue, dropping their kids off at school, sitting in restaurants, or on college campuses, Jews are facing a climate where fear of antisemitism is part of daily life. This is unacceptable – the targeting of Jews is not a Jewish problem; it is a society-wide issue that demands a society-wide response.”
The AJC is urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act (HR 2588) and to provide at least $500 million for the Department of Homeland Security-administered Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funding for high-risk nonprofits – including synagogues, Jewish day schools, and Jewish community centers – to increase preparedness and security.
“As the Jewish community is still reeling from two deadly antisemitic attacks in the past few months, the record-high number of anti-Jewish hate crime incidents tracked by the FBI in 2024 is unfortunately consistent with ADL reporting and, most importantly, with the Jewish community’s current lived experience,” said Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt.