More than 90% of American Jews say they feel less safe following a surge in violent anti-Semitism over the past two years.
A survey by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) found more than half had changed their behaviour over the past year.
Almost one-third said they had been personally targeted in person or online during that period.
Many are concerned that AI chatbots will accelerate the spread of anti-Semitism.
AMERICAN JEWS MUST CONSIDER THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY DAILY
AJC CEO Ted Deutch writes: “Conspiracy theories and misinformation are eroding trust, stoking hate and tearing at the very fabric of our society, often with tragic consequences.”
“Our new report on “The State of Antisemitism in America” reveals how these divisions are affecting the Jewish community, and us all [in US].
“Every day, Jews across this country must consider wrenching questions of personal safety.”
“Should I wear my kippah today, or will that make me a target?”
RESPONSE FROM BROADER AMERICAN PUBLIC IS MUTED
“Can I hang a mezuzah on my door, or am I affixing a bullseye?”
“Is today the day someone throws a brick through the kosher supermarket’s window?”
“Will taking my kids to a synagogue put them in a shooter’s crosshairs?”
“Yet when American Jews express such fears, and even when antisemitic violence occurs, the response from the broader public is often muted — based, it seems, in a sense of acceptance that anti-Jewish hatred is the norm.”
KEY FINDINGS OF AJC SURVEY
- 91% of American Jews say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States due to violent attacks in the past year including the burning of a Jewish [Pennsylvania] governor’s home, the firebombing of Jews in Boulder, Colorado, and the murders [of two Jews] at the Capital Jewish Museum.
- 78% of American Jews say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the US because of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.
- More than half (55%) of American Jews say they changed their behaviour in the past year out of fear of antisemitism.
- 86% of American Jews say antisemitism has increased in the US since the Hamas terrorist attacks.
- Almost one-third (31%) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism — in person or virtually — at least once over the last year.
- The vast majority of US Jews (88%) express that seeing or hearing ‘Globalize the Intifada’ would make them feel unsafe as a Jewish person in the US to some degree.
CONCERNS OVER ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
- 73% of American Jews, say they have experienced antisemitism online — either by seeing or hearing it or by being personally targeted.
- 65% of American Jews say they are concerned that generative AI chatbots such as Grok, ChatGPT or Claude will spread antisemitism.
- 69% of American Jews say they are concerned that information and misinformation shared by generative AI chatbots will lead to antisemitic incidents.
EXPERIENCE OF YOUNGER AMERICAN JEWS
- Nearly half (47%) of young American Jews say they were the personal target of antisemitism in the last year, compared to 28% for those aged 30 and over.
- 42% of American Jewish college students report experiencing antisemitism during their time on campus.
- One in four (25%) of American Jewish college students say they have felt, or had been, excluded from a group or an event on campus because they are Jewish.
WHERE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC STANDS
- 70% of US adults say antisemitism is a problem in the US today.
- The majority (63%) of US adults say antisemitism in the US has increased since the Hamas terrorist attacks.
- 45% of US adults reported personally seeing or hearing any antisemitic incidents in the last 12 months. Of these respondents, 74% have seen of heard antisemitic incidents online or on social media.
“AMERICAN JEWS ARE NOT ADVOCATING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT”
AJC’s Ted Deutch writes: “I am not advocating for special attention or treatment for my community.”
“I’m calling for the same care, awareness and collective outrage we would rightly see if these daily assaults were being made against members of any other religious or ethnic group in the United States.”
“No American should need a security perimeter to pray.”
“No American should be afraid to leave their home or visit a cultural centre of their choosing.”
“A THREAT THIS SEVERE DESTROYS THE BONDS OF TRUST”
“A threat this severe against any community destroys the bonds of trust that make the United States possible, and leaves us all worse off.”
“That’s why the growing hatred against the 2% of America that is Jewish is a direct threat to our democracy.”
“When scapegoating and prejudice is tolerated or ignored, the guardrails protecting all minorities crumble.”
“DEEP CRACKS ARE UNDERMINING THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SOCIETY”
“The fortress of metal detectors and bulletproof glass we’ve built around the Jewish community is a physical sign of the deep cracks undermining the foundation of our society.”
“In a moment when the voices of animosity and hatred seem to be the loudest in the room, American Jews are wondering if this country can live up to the ideals on which it was founded 250 years ago.”
“This is a moment when together we all must ask: Are we willing to fight for our diverse and democratic America?
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