Khaberni - The Anti-Defamation League announced that physical assaults against Jews in the United States during 2025 reached their highest levels since 1979, and the total anti-Semitic incidents decreased by 33%.
The league counted in its annual report, which is considered a primary reference in tracking hate crimes in America, 203 physical assaults against Jews in 2025, an increase of 4% from 196 assaults in 2024. The severity of violence also increased, where 32 of these assaults involved the use of deadly weapons, compared to 23 in 2024, an increase of 39%.
Last year marked the first time since 2019 that three people were killed in anti-Semitic attacks on American soil. Two were killed in a shooting outside the "Capitol Jewish Museum" in Washington, D.C., on May 21, and an 82-year-old woman died from her injuries after a Molotov cocktail attack in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1.
Despite a significant drop in the total number of anti-Semitic incidents from 9,354 in 2024 to 6,274 in 2025 (i.e. by 33%), the ADL warned that the situation is still critical. This number is the third highest recorded since documentation began in 1979, representing an average of 17 incidents per day.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the league, said in a press release: "Our statistics for 2025 show that it was one of the most violent years for American Jews ever, and it reminds us how much the landscape of threats has changed. Numbers that would have shocked us five years ago have now become our baseline. People are being killed due to anti-Semitism on American soil, and thousands more are threatened."
American universities saw a significant decrease in anti-Semitic incidents by 66% (from 1,694 to 583 incidents), due to the decline in sit-in movements and the reaction of university administrations under pressure from the Trump administration. Incidents linked to anti-Israel protests on campuses also decreased by 83%.
New York topped the list of states in terms of the number of incidents with 1,160 incidents, followed by California (817) and New Jersey (687). In New York City alone, 860 incidents were recorded, the highest number at the city level in America.
In addition to the aforementioned attacks, the assaults included a Molotov cocktail thrown at a march supporting Israeli prisoners in Colorado, a stabbing of a Jewish man in New York, and an attempted arson at the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro while he was inside the home. The league notes that these incidents are often linked to the ongoing geopolitical conflict in Gaza and Iran.
Oren Segal, the league's vice president of combating extremism, clarified that a reduction in the total number of incidents should not be mistaken for real progress, pointing out that anti-Semitism continues in our public discourse. Segal affirmed: "Jews in this country are still harassed, assaulted, and targeted at an average rate of 17 times a day, which is not indicative of substantial progress."
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is an international Jewish non-governmental organization that was founded in 1913 in the United States. It primarily aims to combat anti-Semitism and bigotry, defend civil rights, led by the current director Jonathan Greenblatt, and is known for monitoring extremist groups and fighting hate speech, with pro-Israel orientations.
