Antisemitism By The Numbers

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages into the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a ground invasion of Gaza.*Haley Ott, Sarah Lynch Baldwin, Debora Patta, and Tucker Reals, “Israel opens ‘new phase’ in war against Hamas, Netanyahu says, as Gaza ground operation expands,” CBS News, last updated October 28, 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-civilian-deaths-un-says-possible-war-crimes/; “Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to ‘around 1,200,’” Reuters, November 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/#:~:text=Israel%20revises%20Hamas%20attack%20death%20toll%20to%20'around%201%2C200',-Reuters&text=%22Around%201%2C200%20is%20the%20official,had%20been%20updated%20on%20Thursday.x The ensuing war brought with it a spike in anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment. Before the end of October 2023, antisemitic incidents in the United States had already increased 388 percent between October 7 and October 23 when compared with the prior year. Data from the Anti-Defamation League showed 312 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism, and assault in the U.S. The ADL directly linked 190 of those incidents to the Israel-Hamas war. The ADL recorded 64 antisemitic incidents during the same period in 2022.*Kanishka Singh, “US antisemitic incidents up about 400% since Israel-Hamas war began, report says,” Reuters, October 25, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-antisemitic-incidents-up-about-400-since-israel-hamas-war-began-report-says-2023-10-25/.x The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported a 200 percent increase in antisemitic hate crimes—69 incidents in total—in New York City in October 2023, compared with only 22 in October 2022.*Elizabeth Keogh and Leonard Greene, “NYPD reports 200% increase in antisemitic hate crimes following Israel-Hamas war,” Daily News, November 8, 2023, https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/11/08/war-in-gaza-and-israel-brings-surge-in-nyc-hate-crime-against-jews-new-nypd-data-shows/.x Jewish students at schools such as Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and Harvard have also reported harassment.*Rebecca Massel, “‘I am a target’: Dozens of Jewish students report feeling unsafe on campus,” Columbia Spectator, November 2, 2023, https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2023/11/02/i-am-a-target-dozens-of-jewish-students-report-feeling-unsafe-on-campus/; Meghan Tribe and Janet Loren, “Harvard, Yale Warned by Top Law Firms About Antisemitism,” Bloomberg Law, November 2, 2023, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/harvard-yale-warned-by-top-law-firms-about-campus-antisemitism.x At Cornell University, a student allegedly threatened to stab and rape Jewish students and “shoot up” the school, resulting in increased police presence around Jewish institutions over the last weekend of October.*Daniel Arkin, Tom Winter, and Dennis Romero, “Cornell University student threatened to stab and rape Jewish students and ‘shoot up’ school, prosecutors say,” NBC News, October 31, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cornell-university-says-suspect-made-antisemitic-threats-police-custod-rcna123020; Brian P.D. Hannon and David Bauder, “Online antisemitic threats unnerve Jewish students and spark condemnation at Cornell University,” Associated Press, October 30, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/cornell-university-antisemitic-threats-jewish-students-e9b58a4d42a44155a4631940cd555009.x In testimony to Congress on October 31, FBI director Christopher Wray warned of rising antisemitism levels, as well as the threat of lone wolf attackers drawing inspiration from Hamas.*Rebecca Shabad, “Hamas could inspire attacks in the U.S., FBI chief Christopher Wray says,” NBC News, October 31, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/hamas-inspire-attacks-us-fbi-chief-christopher-wray-says-rcna122990.x

While many of October’s antisemitic incidents were linked to the Israel-Hamas war, the increasing threat follows a national trend over several years. The ADL recorded more than 3,600 antisemitic incidents in 2022, making it the highest number of antisemitic incidents in the United States on record.*Brendan O’Brien, “U.S. antisemitic incidents hit record high in 2022, ADL report says,” Reuters, March 23, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-antisemitic-incidents-hit-record-high-2022-adl-report-says-2023-03-23/.x Previously, 2021 was the most antisemitic year in the past decade, according to the annual Antisemitism Report of 2021 by the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the Jewish Agency (JAFI). While no Jews were killed in antisemitic attacks in 2021, the report found an average of 10 antisemitic incidents per day during the year. Almost 50 percent of all antisemitic incidents in 2021 took place in Europe, but Canada and Australia also recorded substantial increases in antisemitism in 2021 over 2020. Major U.S. cities also saw significant increases. New York registered a 100 percent increase in antisemitic incidents over 2020 (503 reported incidents in 2021 versus 252 in 2020), while Los Angeles recorded a 59.1 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2021.*“WZO and Jewish Agency report on antisemitism in 2021,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, January 24, 2022, https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/wzo-and-jewish-agency-report-on-antisemitism-in-2021-24-jan-2022.x The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism across the United States in 2021, an increase of 34 percent from 2020 and the highest number recorded since the ADL began its annual audit in 1979.*“Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2021,” Anti-Defamation League, April 26, 2022, https://www.adl.org/audit2021.x According to a B’nai Brith Canada annual audit, Canada recorded a record 2,799 antisemitic hate crimes in 2021, an increase of 7 percent from 2020. The group further noted an increase in violent incidents from nine in 2020 to 75 in 2021.*Cnaan Liphshiz, “Antisemitic incidents reach 10-year high in the Netherlands,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 27, 2022, https://www.jta.org/2022/04/27/global/antisemitic-incidents-reach-10-year-high-in-the-netherlands.x

The rising numbers give credence to feelings within the Jewish community that antisemitism has been flourishing in recent years. According to an October 2019 poll by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), 38 percent of respondents believe antisemitism in the United States is a serious problem, while 50 percent believe it to be somewhat of a problem. The poll of 1,283 American Jews over age 18 also found that 84 percent of Jews believe antisemitism had increased in the past five years.*“AJC Survey of American Jews on Antisemitism in America,” American Jewish Committee, October 23, 2019, https://www.ajc.org/AntisemitismSurvey2019.x In the same poll, 42 percent reported they felt the status of Jews in the United States was less secure than it had been a year ago, while 36 percent reported that college campuses had become more hostile to pro-Israel students over the preceding year.*“AJC Survey of American Jews on Antisemitism in America,” American Jewish Committee, October 23, 2019, https://www.ajc.org/AntisemitismSurvey2019.x

These beliefs are substantiated by international polling about antisemitic beliefs. A June 2019 poll of 1,000 Americans by the Public Religion Research Institute on whether small businesses should be able to refuse service based on proprietors’ religious beliefs found that a growing number believe it is permissible to refuse service to Jews. According to the poll, 19 percent felt it was permissible to refuse service to Jews if doing so violated religious beliefs. This marks an increase from 12 percent in 2014. The poll also found this belief had mostly increased among political and religious subgroups and gender lines:

• Men: 22 percent in 2019 versus approximately 10 percent in 2014
• Women: 16 percent in 2019 versus approximately 10 percent in 2014
• Republicans: 24 percent in 2019 versus 16 percent in 2014
• Democrats: 17 percent in 2019 versus 9 percent in 2014
• White evangelical Protestants: 24 percent in 2019 versus 12 percent in 2014
• White mainline Protestants: 26 percent in 2019 versus 11 percent in 2014
• Catholics: 20 percent in 2019 versus 10 percent in 2014
• Nonwhite Protestants: 19 percent in 2019 versus 14 percent in 2014
• Religiously unaffiliated: 11 percent in 2019 versus 11 percent in 2014.*Robert P. Jones, Natalie Jackson, Maxine Najle, Oyindamola Bola, and Daniel Greenberg, “Increasing Support for Religiously Based Service Refusals,” Public Religion Research Institute, June 25, 2019, https://www.prri.org/research/increasing-support-for-religiously-based-service-refusals/.x

Violence against Jews and Jewish targets has spiked in recent years. The 2021 ADL audit recorded 88 incidents of antisemitic assault in the United States. The ADL noted none of the 2021 incidents were deadly or resulted in mass casualties. Nonetheless, the findings represented a 167 percent increase from 33 incidents in 2020.*“Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2021,” Anti-Defamation League, April 26, 2022, https://www.adl.org/audit2021.x Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) recorded 387 assaults targeting Jews worldwide in 2018, a 13 percent increase over the previous year.*Aron Heller, “Anti-Semitic attacks spike, killing most Jews in decades,” Associated Press, May 1, 2019, https://apnews.com/article/0457e96b9eb74d30b66c2d190c6ed7e5.x That trend continued through 2019 when TAU researchers recorded 456 major violent incidents worldwide, which they defined as arson, weapon attacks, weaponless attacks, serious threats, and vandalism or desecration.*Moshe Kantor Database for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism,“Antisemitism Worldwide 2019 and the Beginning of 2020,” Tel Aviv University, 194, https://en-humanities.tau.ac.il/sites/humanities_en.tau.ac.il/files/media_server/humanities/kantor/Kantor%20Report%202020_130820.pdf.x While more than one-quarter of these attacks took place in the United States, the increase was most noticeable in Western Europe.*Aron Heller, “Anti-Semitic attacks spike, killing most Jews in decades,” Associated Press, May 1, 2019, https://apnews.com/article/0457e96b9eb74d30b66c2d190c6ed7e5.x

Europe also reported increases in antisemitism in 2021. The 2021 WZO and JAFI report found Europe recorded more antisemitic incidents that year than any other continent, with almost 50 percent of all global antisemitic incidents reported from Europe.*“WZO and Jewish Agency report on antisemitism in 2021,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, January 24, 2022, https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/wzo-and-jewish-agency-report-on-antisemitism-in-2021-24-jan-2022.x The Jewish nonprofit Community Security Trust (CST) in the United Kingdom reported a 34 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in 2021, rising to 2,255 from 1,684 in 2020.*Allegra Goodwin and Richard Allen Greene, “UK anti-Semitism reaches record high in 2021, report says,” CNN, February 9, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/09/europe/uk-anti-semitism-report-2021-intl/index.html.x In the Netherlands, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) recorded a 10-year high of 183 antisemitic incidents, representing a 35 percent increase from 2020.*Cnaan Liphshiz, “Antisemitic incidents reach 10-year high in the Netherlands,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 27, 2022, https://www.jta.org/2022/04/27/global/antisemitic-incidents-reach-10-year-high-in-the-netherlands.x The Foundation Jewish Contemporary Documentation Center (CDEC) in Italy recorded 226 antisemitic incidents in 2021, a minor decrease from the 230 recorded in 2020.*Cnaan Liphshiz, “Antisemitic incidents reach 10-year high in the Netherlands,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 27, 2022, https://www.jta.org/2022/04/27/global/antisemitic-incidents-reach-10-year-high-in-the-netherlands.x Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution recorded 3,027 antisemitic incidents in 2021, an almost 29 percent increase from 2,351 in 2020. In a June 2022 report, the Berlin-based Amadeu Antonio Foundation warned of rising antisemitism related to the Ukraine war and the glorification of terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, which altogether posed an “acute threat to Jewish life in Germany.”*Toby Axelrod, “German government reports startling 29% increase in antisemitic crimes,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 9, 2022, https://www.jta.org/2022/06/09/global/german-government-reports-startling-29-increase-in-antisemitic-crimes.x

Levels of antisemitism and antisemitic violence have risen across Europe since 2014. According to a July 2019 United Nations report, 89 percent of respondents living in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom believe antisemitism has increased within the past five years. France recorded an 84 percent increase in violent antisemitic attacks from 2017 to 2018. Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior recorded an annual increase of 13.5 percent in antisemitic incidents between 2015 and 2018. Violent antisemitic incidents in Germany increased by almost 37 percent during that time period.*E. Tendayi Achiume, “Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,” U.N. General Assembly, July 30, 2019, 10-11, https://undocs.org/A/74/253.x Of the 3,027 antisemitic incidents in Germany in 2021, 2,552 were attributed to neo-Nazi ideology. The government also recorded 122 incidents of Islamic extremist antisemitism, an increase from 26 in 2020.*Toby Axelrod, “German government reports startling 29% increase in antisemitic crimes,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 9, 2022, https://www.jta.org/2022/06/09/global/german-government-reports-startling-29-increase-in-antisemitic-crimes.x

The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention recorded 280 antisemitic hate crimes in 2018, the highest number of yearly incidents on record and a 53 percent increase over the 182 incidents recorded in 2016. The United Kingdom recorded 1,652 antisemitic incidents in 2018, the highest number on record and a 16 percent increase over 2017.*“2017 Annual Review,” Community Security Trust, accessed October 28, 2019, https://cst.org.uk/data/file/8/8/Annual%20Review%202017%20web.1521476984.pdf; “2018 Annual Review,” Community Security Trust, accessed October 28, 2019, https://cst.org.uk/data/file/2/c/Annual%20Review%202018%20-%20ER%20edit%20web.1550505710.pdfx Incidents included physical attacks on victims as young as 11, vandalism of synagogues, and antisemitic abuse of Jewish members of parliament. The Community Security Trust (CST), the central umbrella organization for the U.K. Jewish community, reported that the figures represented the continuation of a growing trend over the past two years. According to the CST, “this sustained high level of antisemitic incidents suggests a longer-term phenomenon in which people with antisemitic attitudes appear to be more confident to express their views, while incident victims and reporters may be more motivated to report the antisemitism they experience or encounter.”*Lizzie Dearden, “More than 100 antisemitic incidents recorded in UK every month as bigots ‘become more confident,’” Independent (London), July 26, 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/antisemitic-uk-figurers-racism-anti-jewish-crime-police-a8465031.html.x

In the United States, the FBI recorded a total of 7,314 hate crime incidents in 2019, an increase from 7,120 in 2018 and the highest number since 2008. Of those 7,314 incidents, 1,650 offenses were motivated by religious bias and 60.3 percent of those incidents targeted Jews.*“2019 Hate Crime Statistics,” FBI, November 2020, 1, 3, https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2019/topic-pages/incidents-and-offenses.pdf; Masood Farivar, “FBI: Hate Crime Incidents Rose 2.7% in 2019,”.Voice of America, November 16, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/usa/fbi-hate-crime-incidents-rose-27-2019?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1726020_.x Jews comprised 56.9 percent of the 1,617 victims of religious bias crimes recorded by the FBI in 2018.*“Uniform Crime Report – Hate Crime Statistics,” FBI, Fall 2019, https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2018/topic-pages/victims.pdf.x The FBI’s statistics over the 10-year period between 2009 and 2018 demonstrate that Jews have consistently been the largest group targeted group by bias crimes in the United States.*“2001 Uniform Crime Report,” FBI, October 2002, 5, https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2001/hatecrime01.pdf.x

Local and state authorities are not required to submit statistics to the FBI for inclusion in its UCR.*“Hate Crime Statistics,” FBI, accessed November 4, 2019, https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr/hate-crime.x In October 2019, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported an increase in hate crimes targeting Jews in the first nine months of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018. The NYPD recorded 311 hate crimes from January through September 2019, 163 of which (52 percent) targeted Jews. During the same period in 2018, the NYPD recorded 250 hate crimes, 108 of which (43 percent) targeted Jews.*Ben Sales, “Anti-Semitic hate crimes in NYC have risen significantly in 2019,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 4, 2019, https://www.jta.org/2019/10/04/united-states/anti-semitic-hate-crimes-in-nyc-have-risen-significantly-in-2019.x

Since the October 2018 Tree of Life murders, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of publicly reported attacks against people who are visibly Jewish, particularly in areas of New York City and other areas with significant Jewish populations. For example, two identifiably Jewish men were physically assaulted in separate incidents in Brooklyn, New York, on January 30, 2019, resulting in the arrest of two individuals for assault and hate crimes.*Marcy Oster, “2 Jewish men assaulted in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 31, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/two-jewish-men-assaulted-in-brooklyns-crown-heights-neighborhood.x On August 27, 2019, a 64-year-old rabbi was hit in the head with a brick while walking to synagogue in Brooklyn.*Laura E. Adkins, “64-year-old Brooklyn rabbi hit in head with brick,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 27, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/father-in-law-of-hasidic-singer-benny-friedman-hit-in-head-with-thrown-brick-while-walking.x

On one hand, the increased numbers are indicative of better reporting of antisemitic crimes to law enforcement and amplified public awareness. Still, the numbers point to a worrisome trend of increased Jewish harassment and persecution. Speaking to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in September 2019, Deborah Lautner, the head of New York City’s new Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, suggested multiple possible reasons for the increase, from hostility from New York’s other ethnic communities and increasingly antagonistic rhetoric from elected officials, to wider press coverage leading to copycats.*Ben Sales, “Here’s how New York City’s new hate crimes chief plans to tackle rising anti-Semitism,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, September 5, 2019, https://www.jta.org/2019/09/05/culture/heres-how-new-york-citys-new-hate-crimes-chief-plans-to-tackle-rising-anti-semitism.x

On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers killed 11 people in an attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the deadliest attack on a synagogue in U.S. history.*Campbell Robertson, Christopher Mele and Sabrina Tavernise, “11 Killed in Synagogue Massacre; Suspect Charged with 29 Counts,” New York Times, October 27, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/us/active-shooter-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html.x Following the Pittsburgh attack, U.S. media reported an increased number of antisemitic vandalism and attacks on Jewish sites around the United States.*Steve Lipman, “Increasingly On Edge, Jews Asking: How Bad Is It?” New York Jewish Week, November 6, 2018, https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/increasingly-on-edge-jews-asking-how-bad-is-it/.x According to the 2018 Global anti-Semitism Report, released by the Israeli government in January 2019, 13 Jews were killed in antisemitic attacks worldwide in 2018, the highest number recorded in decades.*Agence France-Presse, “Anti-Semitic killings in 2018 ‘highest’ in decades: Israel,” Yahoo News, January 27, 2019, https://www.yahoo.com/news/anti-semitic-killings-2018-highest-decades-israel-135544539.html.x

Major attacks like that at the Tree of Life and the April 2019 attack on the Chabad house in Poway, California, were perpetrated by individuals who expressed their hatred of Jews in the language of the far right. According to authorities, Bowers accused Jews during the attack of “committing genocide of my people” and so he “just wanted to kill Jews.”*Chas Danner and Adam K. Raymond, “What to Know About the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting,” Intelligencer, October 28, 2018, http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/what-to-know-about-the-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html.x On April 27, 2019, John Earnest attacked the Chabad house in Poway, California, on the last day of Passover, killing one and wounding three others. Had his assault weapon not malfunctioned, the death toll would have likely been much higher. Earnest claimed inspiration from Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people during twin mosque shootings in New Zealand a month before.*“California Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Poway Synagogue Shooting,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 9, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-man-charged-federal-hate-crimes-poway-synagogue-shooting; “Accused Poway synagogue gunman pleads not guilty to deadly shooting,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 6, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/accused-poway-synagogue-gunman-pleads-not-guilty-to-deadly-shooting; “Online Manifestos Inspire Other Extremists,” State of New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, May 1, 2019, https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/online-manifestos-inspire-other-extremists.x On October 9, 2019, during Yom Kippur, Stephan Balliet attacked the Humbolt Street synagogue in Halle, Germany, killing two. Authorities said Balliet was motivated by antisemitic and far-right ideologies. *Marcy Oster, “German synagogue attacker confesses and says he had anti-Semitic motive,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 13, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/german-synagogue-attacker-confesses-and-says-he-had-anti-semitic-motive; Sven Robel, “Halle-Attentäter wurde von Unbekanntem finanziell unterstützt,” Der Spiege (Berlin), October 11, 2019, https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/halle-saale-attentaeter-wurde-von-unbekanntem-finanziell-unterstuetzt-a-1291171.html; Petra Sorge, Ruth Bender, and Sara Germano, “German Man Arrested After Failed Attack on Synagogue,” Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-killed-in-shooting-in-eastern-germany-11570621267; Marcy Oster, “Germany’s chief prosecutor says Halle shooting suspect planned a ‘massacre,’” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 10, 2019, http://www.jta.org/quick-reads/germanys-chief-prosecutor-says-halle-shooting-suspect-planned-a-massacre.x

By the end of 2019, antisemitic attacks in the United States reached a four-decade high, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The organization recorded a 56 percent increase in assaults over the previous year, resulting in five fatalities.*“Antisemitic Incidents Hit All-Time High in 2019,” Anti-Defamation League, May 12, 2020, https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/antisemitic-incidents-hit-all-time-high-in-2019.x French police recorded 687 antisemitic acts in 2019, including vandalism and physical threats.*“Paris prosecutors investigate apparent anti-Semitic attack,” Associated Press, August 12, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/paris-race-and-ethnicity-theft-france-bd8b69ee27cb2d0e1563f74c3500e3fe.x

The timeline below highlights major violent attacks from the year 2000 through 2022. It also examines the motives of the attackers when possible. The attacks included are specifically violent and targeted primarily at Jewish institutions and religious observances, such as Passover seders or Chanukah parties. The timeline also includes major attacks on individual Jews.

Timeline of Major Violent Attacks on Jews, 2000 – 2022*This list does not include suicide bombings and other attacks inside Israel during the Second Intifada between 2000 and 2005. The exception is Hamas’s Passover bombing, which specifically targeted a Jewish religious event.x:

• March 27, 2002: Twenty-five-year-old Abdel-Basset Odeh, disguised as a woman, blows himself up at the Park Hotel in the Israeli city of Netanya, killing 30 and wounding 140 others during a Passover Seder. Hamas claims responsibility. The attack is the deadliest of the Second Intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israel.*Suzanne Goldenberg and Graham Usher, “Suicide bomb kills 16 Israelis in hotel,” Guardian (London), March 27, 2002, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/28/israel1; Matti Friedman, “Ten years after Passover blast, survivors return to Park Hotel,” Times of Israel, March 27, 2012, https://www.timesofisrael.com/ten-years-after-passover-bombing-survivors-return-to-netanyas-park-hotel/x
• April 11, 2002: A suicide bomber blows up a tanker truck filled with flammable gas outside the El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba, killing 21. Al-Qaeda claims responsibility.*“From Djerba to San Diego, previous attacks on synagogues around the world,” Times of Israel, October 10, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/previous-attacks-on-synagogues-around-the-world/.x
• November 15, 2003: Explosives-filled vehicles are blown up outside the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 30 and wounding 300. A Turkish al-Qaeda cell claims responsibility.*“From Djerba to San Diego, previous attacks on synagogues around the world,” Times of Israel, October 10, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/previous-attacks-on-synagogues-around-the-world/.x
• January 21, 2006: A group 20 individuals calling themselves the Gang of Barbarians kidnap 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, of Moroccan-Jewish decent, in Paris and hold him captive for three weeks in the Paris suburb of Bagneux. The kidnappers demand 450,000 euros from Halimi’s family. Gang leader Youssouf Fofana tells his accomplices they will receive the ransom because all Jews are rich. They torture Halimi while negotiating with his parents over the phone and reportedly read passages from the Quran to Halimi’s parents while he screams in the background. After three weeks without a negotiated settlement, the kidnappers leave Halimi naked and with burns on 80 percent of his body on a road in Sainte-Geneviève-Des-Bois on February 13. A passerby calls an ambulance and Halimi later dies at a hospital. During his trial, gang leader Youssouf Fofana describes himself as a “trader of terror.” He is sentenced to life in prison in 2009, while 26 others involved in the kidnapping/murder receive sentences ranging from six months to 18 years in prison. Some of the accomplices are minors. Fofana receives an additional 10-year sentence in 2017. Halimi’s mother, Ruth, later writes that French police ignored the antisemitic nature of the kidnapping.*“The rising tide of anti-Semitism,” Washington Times, April 2, 2006, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/apr/02/20060402-112829-7874r/; Marc Weitzmann, “Ilan Halimi’s Tortured Ghost Will Continue Haunting France,” Tablet, September 2, 2014, https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/frances-toxic-hate-5; “French ‘Barbarian’ killer jailed” BBC News, July 10, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8145616.stm; “Man who kidnapped, murdered Parisian Jew gets 10 more years in jail” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 12, 2017, https://www.jta.org/2017/01/12/global/man-who-kidnapped-murdered-parisian-jew-gets-10-more-years-in-jail; Devorah Lauter, “Murdered man’s mother blames police,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 2, 2009, https://www.jta.org/2009/04/02/global/murdered-mans-mother-blames-police.x
• July 28, 2006: Naveed Afzal Haq enters the headquarters of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and shoots six people, killing one. He then calls the police and says he has taken hostages. Haq reportedly shouts that he is Muslim and rails against Jews and Israel. He eventually surrenders to the police. In 2010, he is sentenced to life in prison.*Jennifer Sullivan, “Seattle Jewish center shooter gets life sentence,” Los Angeles Times, January 15, 2010, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-15-la-na-seattle-jewish-center15-2010jan15-story.html.x
• November 26-29, 2008: On November 26, gunmen armed with grenades and automatic weapons launch a three-day siege of Nariman House, the local Chabad center in Mumbai, India, taking hostage at least eight people. One of the gunmen identifies himself as Imran Babar and complains to an Indian television station about Israeli interference in Indian affairs. Indian special forces storm the building on the third day. Seven people are killed in the attack, including the Chabad emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. According to Mumbai police, some of the victims inside the Chabad house were killed by strangulation. The Holtzbergs’ nanny escaped on the second day of the siege with the couple’s almost-2-year-old son. The attack is part of a series of coordinated attacks by 10 Pakistani militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba on multiple targets around Mumbai frequented by Westerners that altogether kill 164 people. The lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, is executed in November 2012.*“Mumbai Terror Attacks Fast Facts,” CNN, last updated November 15, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/world/asia/mumbai-terror-attacks/index.html; Liz Robbins and Jack Healy, “Brooklyn Couple Killed in Attacks,” New York Times, November 28, 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/nyregion/28chabad-2.html; Marcy Oster, “Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were killed in 2008 Mumbai attack, celebrates bar mitzvah,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 1, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/moshe-holtzberg-whose-parents-were-killed-in-the-mumbai-attack-called-to-torah-for-bar-mitzvah, Richard Boudreaux, “How Mumbai attack on Jews unfolded,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 2008, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-dec-03-fg-israelis3-story.html; James Gordon Meek and Corky Siemaszko, “Forensic experts: Several Jews slain in Mumbai attacks tortured – officials,” Daily News, December 4, 2008, https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/forensic-experts-jews-slain-mumbai-attacks-tortured-officials-article-1.353535.x
• June 10, 2009: James Wenneker von Brunn shoots and kills a security guard inside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Security guards shoot and wound von Brunn, but he continues to fire until he is apprehended. An avowed white supremacist, von Brunn had previously self-published a book praising Adolf Hitler and ran a website called Holy Western Empire. Von Brunn is charged with first-degree murder, killing in a federal building, and bias-motivated crime. He died in 2010 at age 89 before facing trial.*David Stout, “Museum Gunman a Longtime Foe of Government,” New York Times, June 10, 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/us/11shoot.html; Jim Iovino and Michael Clancy, “Who is James Wenneker von Brunn?,” NBC 4 News, July 14, 2009, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/archive/Who-is-James-Wenneker-von-Brunn.html; “US Holocaust museum murder suspect dies aged 89,” BBC News, January 6, 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8444654.stmx
• December 2011 – January 2012: Anthony Graziano and Aakash Dalal spray paint antisemitic graffiti on two synagogues in Maywood and Hackensack, in New Jersey. On January 3, Graziano starts a fire outside of Temple K’hal Adath Jeshrun in Paramus, New Jersey. There are no injuries. On January 7, Graziano attempts to throw a firebomb at the Jewish Community Center in Paramus but abandons the plan. On January 11, Graziano throws Molotov cocktails through the second-floor window of Congregation Beth El in Rutherford, New Jersey, into the bedroom of the synagogue’s rabbi, Nosson Schuman, who lives on the second floor with his family. The Molotov cocktail starts a fire, causing minor injuries. All incidents take place in New Jersey’s Bergen County. In 2016, Graziano is convicted of terrorism and 19 other counts and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Dalal is convicted on 16 counts and sentenced to 35 years. Dalal is accused of masterminding the attacks. He previously told Graziano, “I don’t trust you until you kill a Jew.”*Associated Press, “Man arrested in firebombings of 2 NJ synagogues,” Fox News, November 29, 2015, https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-arrested-in-firebombings-of-2-nj-synagogues; Associated Press, “Firebombings at 2 Synagogues in New Jersey Lead to Arrest,” New York Times, January 24, 2012, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/nyregion/arrest-in-firebombings-of-2-nj-synagogues.html;; Allison Pries, “Jurors get glimpse into relationship between Lodi man and his co-defendant at firebombing trial,” Associated Press, October 11, 2016, https://apnews.com/664cb74fdf4c4c5e88bf3f7ab5c53270; “‘Partners in hate’ get prison for anti-Semitic firebombings,” Associated Press, July 28, 2017, https://apnews.com/9dbfad02e7144dd9b0e6e79e499dd1da; “Prosecutors: Synagogue Firebomb Suspect Also Targeted Paramus J.C.C.,” CBS 2 New York, January 27, 2012, https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/27/prosecutors-synagogue-firebomb-suspect-targeted-another-facility/x
• March 19, 2012: After killing three French soldiers in seven days, Mohamed Merah opens fire outside the Ozar Hatorah Jewish School in Toulouse, France, killing four people, including three children, and critically wounds another boy. Merah corners one of the girls in the schoolyard, shooting her in the head. Police surround Merah’s apartment on March 22 and kill him as he tries to escape through a window. Three days later, Merah’s brother Abdelkader is indicted on charges of complicity in the attacks.*“Shootings in Toulouse and Montauban: What we know,” BBC News, March 22, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17428860; Fiona Govan, “Toulouse shooting: little girl cornered in school and shot in head,” Telegraph (London), March 19, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9154350/Toulouse-shooting-little-girl-cornered-in-school-and-shot-in-head.html; Hillary Zaken, “French teen who tried to save Toulouse victim still hospitalized,” Times of Israel, March 22, 2012, http://www.timesofisrael.com/french-teenager-who-tried-to-save-toulouse-victim-still-hospitalized/; “Toulouse siege: Mohamed Merah shot in head,” Telegraph (London), March 22, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9160670/Toulouse-siege-Mohamed-Merah-shot-in-head.html; Dan Bilefsky, “Toulouse Killer’s Path to Radicalism a Bitter Puzzle,” New York Times, March 29, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/world/europe/toulouse-killers-path-a-bitter-puzzle.html .x
• April 13, 2014: White nationalist and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon Frazier Glenn Miller Jr. enters the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park, Kansas, and shoots and kills a man and his grandson. Miller then drives to Village Shalom, a retirement center a little over a mile away, where he shoots and kills a woman in the parking lot. When later arrested, Miller shouts “Heil Hitler” as he is led away. Police search Miller’s Missouri home and find a copy of Mein Kampf, a shirt with a swastika, and a list of area kosher restaurants and synagogues. Miller is convicted in 2015 and sentenced to death. Miller dies in prison at age 80 in May 2021.*Tony Rizzo, “F. Glenn Miller Jr. deserves death for killings outside Jewish facilities, jury says,” Kansas City Star, September 8, 2015, https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article34347921.html; Kathleen Belew, Bring the War Home (Cambridge: Harvard University Press 2018), 110-113; Associated Press, “FBI search warrant returns show Jewish center shooting suspect did research before killings,” Fox News, last updated January 8, 2015, https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-search-warrant-returns-show-jewish-center-shooting-suspect-did-research-before-killings; Chris Oberholtz, “FBI: Jewish center shooting suspect did research before killings,” KCTV 5 News, May 7, 2014, https://www.kctv5.com/news/fbi-jewish-center-shooting-suspect-did-research-before-killings/article_efa23a97-2520-56d8-ad4c-774b9031f16a.html; “Man yells ‘Heil Hitler’ after fatally shooting 3 at Jewish centers,” KCTV 5 News, April 13, 2014, https://www.kctv5.com/news/man-yells-heil-hitler-after-fatally-shooting-at-jewish-centers/article_acf957ff-4e93-5cc1-ae06-6689a0da238d.html; Becky Sullivan, “Man Who Shot And Killed 3 At Kansas Jewish Centers Dies In Prison,” NPR, May 4, 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/05/04/993604289/man-who-shot-and-killed-3-at-kansas-jewish-centers-dies-in-prison.x
• May 24, 2014: Ex-ISIS fighter and French national Mehdi Nemmouche goes on a shooting rampage at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, killing four. Nemmouche is arrested and convicted of murder in March 2019. He is sentenced to life in prison. Nacer Bendrer is sentenced to 15 years in prison for helping plan the attack and supplying Nemmouche with weapons. In October 2019, the Brussels criminal court orders Nemmouche and Bendrer to pay a total of €985,000 to the families of the four victims.*“Brussels Jewish Museum killings: Suspect ‘admitted attack,’” BBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505; Anne Penketh, “Brussels Jewish Museum shooting: suspect with Islamist links arrested,” Guardian (London), June 1, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/01/suspect-arrest-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting; “Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche jailed for life,” BBC News, March 12, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47533533; “Jewish Museum terrorists ordered to pay nearly €1 million in victim compensation,” Brussels Times, October 22, 2019, https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/74818/jewish-museum-terrorists-ordered-to-pay-nearly-e1-million-in-victim-compensation-mehdi-nemmouche-nacer-bendrer-terrorist-attacks/.x
• January 7, 2015 – January 9, 2015: Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi launch a deadly assault on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 in the name of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). On January 8, accomplice Amedy Coulibaly shoots and kills a French policewoman near a Jewish school in Montrouge, outside of Paris. On January 9, Coulibaly carries out a gun attack and takes hostages at the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in eastern Paris. Coulibaly kills four hostages before he is killed by French counterterrorism police. The Kouachi brothers are also killed by French police on January 9.*Matthew Weaver, Josh Halliday, Alexandra Topping, Jonathan Bucks, et al, “Charlie Hebdo: officials establish link between gunmen in both attacks — as it happened,” Guardian (London), December 23, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/jan/09/charlie-hebdo-manhunt-kouachi-terrorist-links-live-updates; Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Deli jihadist admits link to Charlie Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video - as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to ANOTHER shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html; Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video – as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to another shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html; David Chazan, “France honours policewoman killed after Charlie Hebdo attacks,” Telegraph, January 9, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/12091052/France-honours-policewoman-killed-after-Charlie-Hebdo-attacks.html; “Charlie Hebdo hunt: Bloody end to sieges,” BBC News, January 10, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30752239.x
• February 14, 2015: Omar El-Hussein kills one person during an attack on a free-speech event in Copenhagen. Later that night, he attacks Copenhagen’s Grand Synagogue during a bar mitzvah celebration, killing a Jewish security volunteer outside the building. Police kill Hussein during an ensuing gunfight. Hussein had previously pledged allegiance to ISIS.*“Denmark gunman openly ‘hated Jews,’ ex-classmate says,” Times of Israel, February 16, 2015, https://www.timesofisrael.com/denmark-gunman-openly-hated-jews-ex-classmate-says/; Angelique Chrisafis, “Copenhagen shooting suspect Omar el-Hussein – a past full of contradictions in Copenhagen,” Guardian (London), February 16, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/16/copenhagen-shooting-suspect-omar-el-hussein-a-past-full-of-contradictions; Agence France-Presse, “From Djerba to San Diego, previous attacks on synagogues around the world,” Times of Israel, October 10, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/previous-attacks-on-synagogues-around-the-world/.x
• April 3, 2017: Kobili Traoré breaks into the Paris apartment of 65-year-old Jewish woman Sarah Halimi. He allegedly recites verses from the Quran as he beats her and then throws her from her third-story window. According to witnesses, Traoré shouts, “I’ve killed the Shaitan [devil]!” Traore confesses to the murder but says he was not motivated by antisemitism and not in the correct state of mind. Authorities initially rule that the crime was antisemitic, but in July 2019 a judge rules that Traoré is “not criminally responsible” because he was high on marijuana at the time. A court of appeal upholds that decision later in the year, sparking protest in Paris’s Jewish community. On April 14, 2021, the French Court of Cassation’s Supreme Court of Appeals upholds rulings by lower courts that Traore cannot stand trial because he was too high on marijuana to be criminally responsible for his actions. The decision sparks widespread protests in France, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States.*Samuel Osborne, “Man who killed Jewish woman in antisemitic attack not criminally responsible as he was high on cannabis, French judge rules,” Independent (London), July 16, 2019, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-jewish-woman-antisemitic-attack-cannabis-high-sarah-halimi-kobili-traore-paris-a9006631.html; Cnaan Liphshiz, “Jewish woman’s killer not criminally liable because he was high on marijuana, French judge rules,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 15, 2020, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/jewish-womans-killer-not-criminally-liable-because-he-was-high-on-marijuana-french-judge-rules; Cnaan Liphshiz, “Paris appeals court agrees: Killer of Jewish woman not responsible for his actions because he was too high on marijuana,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 19, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/paris-appeals-court-killer-of-jewish-woman-not-responsible-for-his-actions-because-he-was-too-high-on-marijuana; Philippe Theise, “Hundreds rally in Paris to seek justice for murdered Jewish woman Sarah Halimi,” France 24, January 5, 2020, https://www.france24.com/en/20200105-hundreds-rally-in-paris-to-seek-justice-for-murdered-jewish-woman-sarah-halimi; “Top French court upholds decision not to try suspect in Jewish woman’s murder,” France 24, April 14, 2021, https://www.france24.com/en/france/20210414-top-french-court-upholds-decision-not-to-try-suspect-in-jewish-woman-s-murder; “Protesters mass in France, Israel, UK and US to demand justice for Sarah Halimi,” Times of Israel, April 25, 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/protesters-mass-in-france-israel-uk-to-demand-justice-for-sarah-halimi/.x
• December 9, 2017: During protests in Sweden against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, more than a dozen men throw firebombs at a synagogue in Gothenburg, Sweden, while congregants gathered inside for a party. No injuries and only minor property damage are reported. Police classify the attack as a hate crime. In June 2018, three Arab men are convicted for the attack. Two are sentenced to two years in prison each while the third is sentenced to 15 months.*Cnaan Liphshiz, “Firebombs hurled at synagogue in Sweden after protest march about Jerusalem,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 9, 2017, https://www.jta.org/2017/12/09/global/shouts-about-shooting-jews-heard-at-sweden-rally-on-jerusalem?_ga=2.243775941.1354113791.1571250637-2141083927.1564774097; “3 Arab men convicted of firebombing Swedish synagogue,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 25, 2018, https://www.jta.org/2018/06/25/global/3-men-convicted-firebomb-attack-swedish-synagogue.x
• January 9, 2018: An unknown assailant throws a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba. There are no reported injuries and only minor damage.*Jack Moore, “Tunisia Synagogue Firebombed as Protests Rock Arab Spring Success Story,” Newsweek, January 10, 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/tunisia-synagogue-firebombed-protests-rock-arab-spring-success-story-776834.x
• March 23, 2018: Two suspects break into the apartment of 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll in Paris, stab her, and set her body on fire. Police arrest suspects Yacine Mihoub and Alex Carrimbacus, who go to trial in July 2020. Carrimbacus accuses Mihoub of yelling “Allahu Akbar” while stabbing Knoll, and of justifying the attack by saying “Jews have money.” He later recanted his account, leading to questions about whether there was an antisemitic motive.*Agence France-Presse, “Two charged with anti-Semitic murder of elderly French Jewish woman,” France 24, March 27, 2018, https://www.france24.com/en/20180327-two-charged-with-anti-semitic-murder-elderly-french-jewish-woman; Charles Bremner, “Two charged with killing 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll,” Times (London), March 28, 2018, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/two-charged-with-killing-85-year-old-holocaust-survivor-mireille-knoll-antisemitism-nz39s09jg; Agence France-Presse, “French court orders trial over brutal, alleged anti-Semitic murder of woman, 85,” Times of Israel, July 13, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/french-court-orders-trial-over-womans-alleged-anti-semitic-murder/.x
• October 27, 2018: Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and other weapons, Robert Bowers attacks the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light Jewish congregations gather for Shabbat services. Bowers talks during the attack of his desire to “kill Jews,” claiming Jews are “committing genocide of my people.” Bowers kills 11 people and wounds six others. Bowers is wounded during an ensuing gunfight with police. He is taken into custody and charged with multiple hate crimes, murder, and attempted murder. Bowers pleads not guilty in February 2019. The attack is the worst on worshipping Jews in American history. On June 16, 2023, Bowers is found guilty of 22 charges of hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death.*“US v. Robert Bowers,” U.S. Department of Justice, January 29, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/vw/us-v-bowers; Chas Danner and Adam K. Raymond, “What to Know About the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting,” Intelligencer, October 28, 2018, http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/what-to-know-about-the-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html; Ramesh Santanam, “Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect pleads not guilty,” Associated Press, February 11, 2019, https://www.apnews.com/8dcd0b6b03624272af4ab1d4e8a48412; Max Londberg, “Pittsburgh synagogue attack worst on worshiping Jews in U.S. history, Cincy archivist says,” Cincinnati Enquirer, October 27, 2018, https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/27/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-attack-jewish-worshipers-worst-u-s-cincinnati-archivist-says/1789293002/; “Poway synagogue shooting captured on video, prosecutors say, as they describe attack,” Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-san-diego-synagogue-shooter-camera-explainer-john-earnest-20190502-story.html; Megan Guza, “Shooter found guilty of federal hate crimes in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 16, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/06/16/pittsburgh-tree-of-live-synagogue-shooting-trial-verdict-robert-bowers/stories/202306160050.x
• March 28, 2019: An unidentified attacker throws a Molotov cocktail at the Beth Israel Synagogue in Izmir, Turkey. There is no damage reported.*Marcy Oster, “Synagogue firebombed in Turkey,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 4, 2019, http://www.jta.org/quick-reads/synagogue-firebombed-in-turkey.x
• April 27, 2019: Six months to the day after the Pittsburgh shooting, John Earnest attacks the Chabad house in Poway, California, with an AR-15 on the last day of Passover, killing one and wounding three others, including the rabbi and an 8-year-old girl. An armed off-duty Border Patrol officer and other congregants chase Earnest out of the building. Police arrest Earnest as he is attempting to flee in his car. Earnest is charged with 109 federal hate crimes, including murder and attempted murder. Earnest pleads not guilty in October 2019. Earnest claims inspiration from New Zealand shooter Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two mosques a month earlier. Earnest wrote in his manifesto that he hoped to inspire similar shootings. On September 17, 2021, Earnest pleads guilty to a 113-count hate crimes indictment. He admits he had opened fire at the Poway Chabad and had set fire to the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido, California, on March 24, 2019, because he wanted to kill Muslims and Jews. Under the terms of Earner’s plea agreement, the United States and Earnest will jointly recommend a sentence of life in prison plus 30 years.*“California Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Poway Synagogue Shooting,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 9, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-man-charged-federal-hate-crimes-poway-synagogue-shooting; “Accused Poway synagogue gunman pleads not guilty to deadly shooting,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 6, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/accused-poway-synagogue-gunman-pleads-not-guilty-to-deadly-shooting; “Online Manifestos Inspire Other Extremists,” State of New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and “Online Manifestos Inspire Other Extremists,” Preparedness, May 1, 2019, https://www.njhomelandsecurity.gov/analysis/online-manifestos-inspire-other-extremists; “John Earnest Pleads Guilty to 113-Count Federal Hate Crime Indictment in Connection with Poway Synagogue Shooting and Mosque Arson,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 17, 2021, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/john-earnest-pleads-guilty-113-count-federal-hate-crime-indictment-connection-poway.x
• May 18-19, 2019: An arsonist attempts to start multiple fires at the Anshei Sholom B’nei Israel synagogue in Chicago overnight. The remains of Molotov cocktails are found outside the building. Police identify two suspects. On the morning of May 19, police find car windows smashed outside another Chicago synagogue.*Marcy Oster, “Chicago synagogue targeted by arson attacks,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 20, 2019, http://www.jta.org/quick-reads/chicago-synagogue-target-of-arson-attacks.x
• July 28, 2019: Prior to evening prayers at the Young Israel of Greater Miami synagogue in North Miami Beach, Florida, a man is shot while sitting on a bench waiting for the service. The victim survives. Less than a month later, police arrest Carlints St. Louis on charges of attempted murder with a firearm, aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.*Ben Sales, “‘We no longer feel comfortable in our own shul’: North Miami Beach’s Jews cope after another synagogue shooting,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 30, 2019, http://www.jta.org/2019/07/30/united-states/we-no-longer-feel-comfortable-in-our-own-shul-miami-beachs-jews-cope-after-another-shooting-at-a-synagogue; “Arrest Made Weeks After Shooting Outside North Miami Beach Synagogue,” NBC 6 News, last updated August 21, 2019, https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Arrest-Made-in-Shooting-Outside-North-Miami-Beach-Synagogue-557609851.html.x
• October 9, 2019: On Yom Kippur, a gunman identified as Stephan Balliet attacks the Humbolt Street synagogue in Halle, Germany, while simultaneously livestreaming the attack on Twitch, an Amazon-owned streaming platform. Unable to get inside, he shoots one woman outside the synagogue before he goes on to shoot another man at a nearby kebab shop, killing both. Two others are wounded in the attack. Balliet confesses to authorities after his arrest and claims antisemitic and far-right motives, according to the German federal prosecutor’s office. Balliet carried nine pounds of explosives in his car at the time of his arrest and intended to carry out a “massacre,” according to the prosecutor.*Marcy Oster, “German synagogue attacker confesses and says he had anti-Semitic motive,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 13, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/german-synagogue-attacker-confesses-and-says-he-had-anti-semitic-motive; Sven Robel, “Halle-Attentäter wurde von Unbekanntem finanziell unterstützt,” Der Spiegel (Berlin), October 11, 2019, https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/halle-saale-attentaeter-wurde-von-unbekanntem-finanziell-unterstuetzt-a-1291171.html; Petra Sorge, Ruth Bender, and Sara Germano, “German Man Arrested After Failed Attack on Synagogue,” Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/two-killed-in-shooting-in-eastern-germany-11570621267; Marcy Oster, “Germany’s chief prosecutor says Halle shooting suspect planned a ‘massacre,’” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 10, 2019, http://www.jta.org/quick-reads/germanys-chief-prosecutor-says-halle-shooting-suspect-planned-a-massacre.x
• December 10, 2019: After fatally shooting a police detective at the Bay View Cemetery in Jersey City, New Jersey, David Anderson and Francine Graham attack the JC Kosher Supermarket, killing three. Anderson and Graham are subsequently killed during an hours-long shootout with police. Explosives are found in a stolen U-Haul truck that the pair drove to the store. The incident is labeled a terrorist attack. Authorities find an antisemitic manifesto and other writings that support conclusions the store was specifically targeted. Anderson previously belonged to the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, which anti-extremism experts accuse of trading in racism and antisemitism.*Associated Press, “Timeline of events in Jersey City shootout,” Morning Call, December 11, 2019, https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws--20191211-igfpyntxjbef5a2hzsyqomg2wa-story.html; David Porter and Michael R. Sisak, “Jersey City attack being investigated as domestic terrorism,” Associated Press, December 13, 2019, https://apnews.com/b8ead490e3616d7234442b5b2c63e6d6; Sarah Maslin Nir, “Black Hebrew Israelites: What We Know About the Fringe Group,” New York Times, December 12, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/nyregion/black-hebrew-israelites-jersey-city-suspects.html; Jonathan Dienst and Brian Thompson, “Jersey City Shooters Identified, Were Prime Suspects in Other Homicide,” NBC 4 New York, last updated December 12, 2019, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jersey-city-shootout-developing-details-3-2/2239660/.x
• December 28, 2019: A masked African American male armed with a machete, later identified as Grafton E. Thomas, screams “I’ll get you!” as he attacks a Chanukah party at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in Monsey, New York, killing one and wounding four. Guests attack the assailant with chairs and force him to flee. Thomas attempts to enter the synagogue next door, Congregation Netzach Yisroel, but the doors are locked. Thomas is arrested shortly after in Harlem after police trace his license plate using a picture taken by a guest. Governor Andrew Cuomo calls the attack “an act of domestic terrorism.” Thomas is charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of first-degree murder, as well as federal hate crime charges. A judge rules in April 2020 that Thomas is mentally unfit to stand trial.*Rebecca Liebson, Christina Goldbaum, Joseph Goldstein, and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, “Intruder Screamed ‘I’ll Get You’ in Attack on Jews at Rabbi’s Home,” New York Times, December 28, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/nyregion/monsey-new-york-stabbing.html; Michael Gold and Benjamin Weiser, “Suspect in Monsey Stabbings Searched Online for ‘Hitler,’ Charges Say,” New York Times, December 30, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/nyregion/jewish-attacks.html; Phil Helsel, “Suspect in Hanukkah machete attack at rabbi’s NY home not fit for trial, judge rules,” NBC News, April 21, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-hanukkah-machete-attack-rabbi-s-ny-home-not-fit-n1188426; Azi Paybarah, “Rabbi Dies Three Months After Hanukkah Night Attack,” New York Times, March 30, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/nyregion/rabbi-monsey-attack.html.x
• October 4, 2020: A suspect wearing military fatigues attacks a 26-year-old with a spade outside a synagogue in Hamburg, Germany, during the Sukkot holiday. The victim is “seriously” injured, according to authorities. Police soon after arrest a suspect who has a note with a swastika in his pocket. Police describe the suspect as “extremely confused.” German political leaders condemn the attack.*“Jewish student ‘seriously injured’ outside Hamburg synagogue in ‘anti-Semitic motivated attack,’” Euronews, October 5, 2020, https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/05/jewish-student-seriously-injured-outside-hamburg-synagogue; Katrin Bennhold, “Attack at German Synagogue During Sukkot Raises Anti-Semitism Fears,” New York Times, October 4, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/world/europe/synagogue-attack-germany-hamburg.html.x
• November 2, 2020: Austrian-North Macedonian dual citizen Kujtim Fejzulai, wearing a fake explosive vest and armed with an automatic rifle, a handgun, and a machete attacks Vienna’s city center, including areas busy with people in bars and restaurants as well as outside the Seitenstettengasse synagogue, killing at least four and wounding at least 22 before he is killed by police. The synagogue’s non-Jewish security guard is among the fatalities. Fejzulai had previously been convicted for attempting to join ISIS but was released early after serving only part of his 22-month sentence. Jewish communal leaders are uncertain if the synagogue, which was closed at the time of the attack, was a primary target. The attack takes place the night before Austria is set to begin a new coronavirus lockdown, with bars and restaurants closing for a month at midnight. Austria begins three days of official mourning the day after the attack. ISIS supporters on the encrypted messaging service Telegram praise the attack, and ISIS claims responsibility the following day through its Amaq News Agency.*Philipp Jenne and Geir Moulson, “Gunman who killed 4 in Vienna attack had sought to join IS,” Associated Press, November 3, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/vienna-shooter-tried-to-join-isis-53282a7da4f3a1903358b4b16d8a17a6; “Islamic State claims responsibility for Vienna attack,” Reuters, November 3, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-austria-attacks-claim/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-vienna-attack-groups-amaq-news-idUKKBN27J2FA; Michael Bachner and staff, “At least 2 dead in ‘repulsive terror attack’ at multiple sites in Vienna,” Times of Israel, November 2, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/shots-fired-near-vienna-synagogue-prompting-massive-police-operation/; “Vienna Shooting Kills Four, Injures Several in Terrorist Act,” Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54786952; “Vienna shooting: Gunman hunted after deadly ‘terror’ attack,” BBC News, November 3, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/three-injured-in-armed-attack-on-vienna-synagogue-11604348986.x
• January 15, 2022: Malik Faisal Akram enters the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during Saturday morning services, which are being livestreamed on the synagogue’s Facebook page. Akram, a 44-year-old British national, takes at least four hostages and reportedly begins demanding the release of al-Qaeda terrorist Aafia Siddiqui from a U.S. federal prison. An FBI SWAT team is called to the scene. In an unconfirmed report to ABC News during the hostage crisis, a U.S. official initially identified the hostage-taker to ABC News as Siddiqui’s brother. Police are called to the synagogue by 11 a.m. Akram reportedly claims to have a bomb. Multiple people listening to the livestream of the synagogue’s service also report hearing him refer to Siddiqui as his sister, but a representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) tells the Associated Press that Siddiqui’s brother, Mohammad Siddiqui, is not involved. One hostage is released just after 5 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., all hostages are released unharmed as a rescue team enters the building. Authorities declare Akram is dead. Investigators initially suspected he may have been motivated by a desire to have Siddiqui released. An FBI investigator says Akram “was singularly focused on one issue, and [the attack] was not specifically related to the Jewish community.” U.S. President Joe Biden condemns the attack as an act of terror and acknowledges Akram made antisemitic and anti-Israel remarks. A law enforcement source tells media Akram stated during the hostage crisis he knew would die and wanted Siddiqui brought to the synagogue so they could die together. Congregation Beth Israel is 24 miles from the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, in Fort Worth, where Siddiqui is incarcerated. Siddiqui’s attorney denies she had any involvement in the synagogue attack. The FBI continues to investigate the influence of Siddiqui’s case on Akram.*Jake Bleiberg, “Ranting man takes hostages at Texas synagogue,” Associated Press, January 15, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/religion-texas-fort-worth-70bf98670cb880156cf5e1f1e4e08dcd; Shelby Tauber and Daphne Psaledakis, “Police respond to "hostage situation" at Texas synagogue,” Reuters, January 15, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-colleyville-texas-involved-standoff-synagogue-media-2022-01-15/; Jake Bleiberg, Eric Tucker, and Michael Balsamo, “Hostages safe after standoff inside synagogue; captor dead,” Associated Press, January 15, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/religion-texas-fort-worth-70bf98670cb880156cf5e1f1e4e08dcd; Alaa Elassar, Michelle Watson, and Alanne Orjoux, “FBI identifies hostage-taker at Texas synagogue,” CNN, January 16, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/16/us/colleyville-texas-hostage-situation-sunday/index.html; Andy Rose, “Aafia Siddiqui ‘has absolutely no involvement’ in synagogue hostage situation, her attorney says,” CNN, January 15, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/texas-synagogue-hostage-situation/h_bdb43b3cd460d8686fb0352d1a6f08e7; Morgan Rousseau, “Aafia Siddiqui, the federal prisoner at the center of the Texas synagogue hostage situation, has Boston ties,” Boston.com, January 17, 2022, https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2022/01/17/texas-synagogue-aafia-siddiqui-boston-education/; Zia ur-Rehman and Michael Levenson, “Officials Investigating Synagogue Attacker’s Link to 2010 Terror Case,” New York Times, January 17, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/17/world/europe/texas-synagogue-hostages-aafia-siddiqui.html; “Remarks by President Biden on the Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas,” White House, January 16, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/01/16/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-hostage-situation-at-congregation-beth-israel-in-colleyville-texas/.x
• April 8, 2022: At approximately 1:15 p.m., Dion Marsh steals a 2016 Toyota Camry in the largely Jewish community of Lakewood, New Jersey, and wounds the owner. Later that evening, Marsh strikes another pedestrian with the car and then stabs an Orthodox Jewish man in the chest, severely wounding him. No fatalities are reported. Marsh is arrested on charges of attempted murder and bias intimidation. During a recorded interview with police, Marsh refers to Hasidic Jews as “the real devils.” Prior to the attack, Marsh reportedly said there was going to be a “blood bath.”*Noah Cohen, “Man charged in violent N.J. crime spree made antisemitic remarks, group says,” NJ.com, last updated April 10, 2022, https://www.nj.com/ocean/2022/04/man-charged-in-violent-nj-crime-spree-made-antisemitic-remarks-group-says.html; Noah Cohen, “Man promised ‘blood bath’ in antisemitic attacks targeting Lakewood Orthodox Jews, cops say,” NJ.com, last updated April 13, 2022, https://www.nj.com/ocean/2022/04/man-promised-blood-bath-in-antsemetic-attacks-targeting-lakewood-orthodox-jews-cops-say.html.x

An examination of violent antisemitic attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions of the twenty-first century reveals the patterns of who is threatening the Jewish community. Of the recorded major attacks in the United States between 2000 and 2020, one attacker—Naveed Afzal Haq in the July 2006 Seattle shooting—claimed he was directly motivated to attack Jews because of his Muslim identity and anger over U.S.-Israeli policies. Four other U.S. attacks were identifiably motivated by white nationalism. One unsuccessful December 2018 plot drew inspiration from both white nationalism and Islamism. That month, the FBI arrested 21-year-old Dutch native Damon Joseph on charges of plotting to attack a synagogue in Toledo, Ohio. Joseph told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to kill a rabbi and was inspired by the Pittsburgh attack. Joseph went by the name Abdullah Ali Yusuf and was charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS.*Marcy Oster, “Ohio man arrested for planning deadly attack on synagogue,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 10, 2018, https://www.jta.org/2018/12/10/united-states/toledo-ohio-man-arrested-for-planning-deadly-attack-on-area-synagogue; “Suspect in Ohio synagogue bombing plan indicted on federal hate crimes charge,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 31, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/ohio-man-who-planned-attack-on-local-synagogue-indicted-on-federal-hate-crimes-charget.x Authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada, stopped another attack on August 8, 2019, when they arrested Conor Climo for planning to bomb a synagogue or LGBTQ club.*Marcy Oster, “Las Vegas man planned to bomb local synagogue, federal authorities charge,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 11, 2019, https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/las-vegas-man-planned-to-bomb-local-synagogue-federal-authorities-charge.x In February 2020, Climo pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm—specifically, the component parts of a destructive device. Climo had also been in communication with members of the white supremacist group Feuerkrieg Division, a European offshoot of the U.S.-based Atomwaffen Division.*“Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Bomb-Making Components,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 10, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/las-vegas-man-pleads-guilty-possession-bomb-making-components.x

While white nationalists have largely—but not exclusively—carried out violent anti-Jewish attacks in the United States, Arab and Muslim assailants have been largely responsible for attacks in Europe. Further, the European attackers have more often claimed affiliation with a larger jihadist terrorist network, such as al-Qaeda or ISIS. Mohamed Merah, who killed four people at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish School in Toulouse, France, in March 2012, was affiliated with al-Qaeda and claimed during a standoff with police that he was avenging the deaths of Palestinians while attacking France for banning Islamic veils. Merah died during the confrontation.*Harriet Alexander and Fiona Govan, “Toulouse shootings: the making of a French jihadi killer with a double life,” Telegraph (London), March 24, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9165091/Toulouse-shootings-the-making-of-a-French-jihadi-killer-with-a-double-life.html.x Mehdi Nemmouche, who killed four in a 2014 attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, Belgium, was a former ISIS fighter whose lawyer claimed he was targeting Mossad (Israel’s national intelligence agency) agents during his assault on the museum.*“Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche guilty,” BBC News, March 7, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47490332.x

Two U.S. attacks that do not fit into the far-right/Islamist paradigm are the December 10, 2019, attack on a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey, and the December 28, 2019, attack on a Chanukah party in Monsey, New York. The Jersey City attack left three people dead, as well as the two attackers, David Anderson and Francine Graham. Anderson had previously belonged to a group known as the Black Hebrew Israelites, a U.S. religious movement that believes that Blacks, not modern Jews, are the true descendants of the ancient tribes of Israel. Sects within the movement, which has been dubbed a hate group by anti-extremism experts, stand accused of trading in racism and antisemitism. There are divergences within the larger movement and not all Black Israelites groups adhere to the same antisemitic propaganda.*Sam Kestenbaum, “Who are the Black Israelites at the center of the viral standoff at the Lincoln Memorial?,” Washington Post, January 22, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/01/22/who-are-black-israelites-center-viral-standoff-lincoln-memorial/; David Porter and Michael R. Sisak, “Jersey City attack being investigated as domestic terrorism,” Associated Press, December 13, 2019, https://apnews.com/b8ead490e3616d7234442b5b2c63e6d6; Sarah Maslin Nir, “Black Hebrew Israelites: What We Know About the Fringe Group,” New York Times, December 12, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/nyregion/black-hebrew-israelites-jersey-city-suspects.html.x In the second attack, an African American man identified as Grafton E. Thomas attacked a Chanukah party in Monsey, New York, killing one and wounding four.*Rebecca Liebson, Christina Goldbaum, Joseph Goldstein, and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, “Intruder Screamed ‘I’ll Get You’ in Attack on Jews at Rabbi’s Home,” New York Times, December 28, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/nyregion/monsey-new-york-stabbing.html.x According to the criminal complaint against him, Thomas had searched the Internet for Nazi-related terms, as well as “why did Hitler hate the Jews” and “prominent companies founded by Jews in America.” He had also searched for “German Jewish Temples near me” and “Zionist Temples” in New Jersey and Staten Island. Thomas appeared unaffiliated with any major group but had written about Adolf Hitler and “Nazi culture” in his journals.*Michael Gold and Benjamin Weiser, “Suspect in Monsey Stabbings Searched Online for ‘Hitler,’ Charges Say,” New York Times, December 30, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/nyregion/jewish-attacks.html; Phil Helsel, “Suspect in Hanukkah machete attack at rabbi’s NY home not fit for trial, judge rules,” NBC News, April 21, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-hanukkah-machete-attack-rabbi-s-ny-home-not-fit-n1188426 .x