Antisemitic Attitudes in the US Rise Since the Israel-Hamas War

According to the *Holocaust Encyclopedia*, antisemitism is prejudice or hatred towards Jewish people.

The most extreme form of antisemitism or anti-Jewish sentiment emerged during the period of 1933-1945, when the Nazi German government led by Adolf Hitler perpetrated the Holocaust, the systematic extermination of approximately 6 million Jews in Europe.

Currently, antisemitism or anti-Jewish sentiment in the United States appears to be on the rise, particularly since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in early October 2023.

This is recorded in the *Israel Hamas War Sentiment Survey* report released by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) on Thursday, November 9, 2023.

"The Jewish population in the US sees antisemitism increasing in their local communities. The broader population may also see an increase in antisemitism around them," said the JFNA in its report.

According to their survey, of approximately 2,200 Jewish respondents in the US, a majority or 72% observed an increase in antisemitic sentiment in their environment.

Then 16% felt that the antisemitism they saw was the same as before the war, and 12% did not know or were unsure.

However, none of the respondents felt that anti-Jewish sentiment in the US had decreased.

"Most Jewish people in the US admitted to feeling 'tense' and 'uncomfortable'. Less than half felt 'normal' or 'okay'," said the JFNA.

They also noted that in 2020, only 45% of Jewish respondents felt there was a lot of antisemitism in the US. However, after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, that number rose to 74%.

"More and more Jewish people in the US feel that antisemitism has increased now compared to a few years ago," they said.

This survey also found that 29% of Jewish respondents in the US directly experienced hate speech or were victims of physical violence since the Israel-Hamas war.

This survey was conducted from October 29 to November 1, 2023, among approximately 2,200 Jewish people in the US, with a criterion of being over 18 years old.