ADL sees 21% rise in anti-Semitic attacks in 2014

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States increased by 21 percent in 2014 compared to 2013, the first year in almost a decade that anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise.

“While the overall number of anti-Semitic incidents remains lower than we have seen historically, the fact remains that 2014 was a particularly violent year for Jews both overseas and in the United States,” says ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman.

“The fatal shootings in Overland Park, Kansas, at a Jewish community center building and at a senior residence by a white supremacist whose goal was to ‘kill Jews’ and other violent episodes were tragic reminders that lethal anti-Semitism continues to pose a threat to American Jews and larger society as well,” continues Foxman.

A marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents was noted during the 50 days of war last summer in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, known as Operation Protective Edge. Anti-Semitic acts, the ADL notes, manifested on the fringe of anti-Israel movements during and after the operation as Jewish individuals and institutions became the targets of anti-Semitic rhetoric and acts of vandalism.