Antisemitism is getting worse as ‘scary’ incidents are exposed, DC residents say
Americans in the nation's capital shared whether antisemitism has gotten better or worse in the U.S. since Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 ambush on Israel.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Americans in the nation's capital weighed in on antisemitism in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel, with most telling Fox News that hate against Jews has gotten worse in recent months.
"It's rather shocking, actually, how many people side with antisemitism and just hating people," Cori, of Washington, D.C., told Fox News. "It's gotten much worse."
But Joe said anti-Israel rhetoric, not antisemitism, has increased.
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"There's a confusion between antisemitism and anti-Israeli," he said. "I don't think it's directed at Jews. I think it's directed at the Israelis' handling of the Palestinians."
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations have broken out across the U.S. since Israel's war against Hamas started after the terrorist group invaded the Jewish state Oct. 7. Between then and Jan. 7, there have been nearly 3,300 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. — an average of 34 a day and more than quadruple the number over the same period the year prior, according to preliminary Anti-Defamation League data published Jan. 9.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have broken out nationwide since Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack. More than 1,300 U.S. rallies have reported antisemitic rhetoric or expression for support for terrorism against the state of Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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"It's scary to see," Miles said. "It's a little more heightened."
Steve said antisemitism at colleges have gotten worse in particular.
"I think in the universities it's gotten worse," Steve said. "I'm very glad that the president of Harvard resigned."
The antisemitic incidents ADL documented include 56 physical assaults, 554 accounts of vandalism and 1,300 reports of verbal or written harassment. More than 1,300 rallies included antisemitic rhetoric, with at least 500 of the incidents occurring on college campuses, according to the group.
Several Americans in the nation's capital said antisemitism has gotten much worse across the U.S. since Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (Fox News/Jon Michael Raasch)
Some Jewish Americans have felt unsafe on campus following antisemitic acts or violent threats. Harvard University students, for example, filed a lawsuit against the college, arguing that the Ivy League school is allowing "antisemitism cancer" to grow on campus.
"I can't understand it," Jacqueline said. "How can you hate somebody just because they were born different or look different or think different?"
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The number of antisemitic incidents ADL counted over the three-month period is higher than the total for any year except 2022. It also puts 2023 on pace to have more incidents than any other year since the group started tracking them in the late 1970s.
"It's gotten worse," William said. "There's a lot of people suffering. Nobody should have to be in that type of environment, period."
Ramiro Vargas contributed to the accompanying video.