Antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate in US reaches ‘staggering’ record amid Gaza war

Incidents ranged from assaults to hateful graffitti

A shotgun fired twice outside of a New York state synagogue.

A group of college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont shot while wearing keffiyehs.

Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab hate incidents have reached unprecedented levels, according to civil rights advocates.

Between 7 October and 7 December, antisemitic incidents reached the highest level ever for a two-month period since the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) began tracking the figure in 1979, topping 2,000.

"This terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing,” Jonathan Greenblatt CEO of the ADL, said in a statement.

“The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate. Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”

Albany police officers gather outside Temple Israel, in Albany, New York, where a 28-year-old suspect was arrested for allegedly firing two rounds from a shotgun outside the Jewish temple (AP)

The data included 40 incidents of physical assault, 337 acts of vandalism, 749 instances of written or verbal harassment, and 905 demonstrations that met the ADL’s broad definition of antisemitism, which includes “antisemitic rhetoric, expressions of support for terrorism against the state of Israel and/or anti-Zionism.”

Muslim leaders also warned of a terrifying rise in hate incidents.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations tracked 2,171 requests for help and reports of bias since 7 October.

“From Burlington to Chicago and elsewhere, innocent Americans are suffering the consequences of this wave of bigotry,” Corey Saylor, research and advocacy director at CAIR, told CNN. “Until our nation stops the violence overseas and rejects bigotry here at home, we fear that both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism will continue to spin out of control.”

Federal officials have also warned of the tense domestic situation.

“The US remains in a heightened threat environment and recent events reinforce that,” a DHS spokesperson told The Independent last month. “As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, we have seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions. Lone offenders, motivated by a range of violent ideologies, pose the most likely threat.”