Reporting Antisemitism to Federal Agencies, Law Enforcement, and Social Media Guidance by American Jewish Committee

Graffiti in Maryland of a hangman's rope with a Jewish star

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Antisemitism is a deeply pervasive issue affecting the wellbeing of the Jewish community. In the wake of Hamas’ murderous terror attack against Israel on October 7 when 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered, thousands were wounded, and over 240 people, including children, were taken as hostages into Gaza, there has been an unprecedented spike in antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world. This anti-Jewish hate is felt both in person and online and is having major ramifications for the safety and security of American Jews. 

American Jewish Committee’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 survey of U.S. Jews revealed that almost half (46%) of American Jews said they avoided at least one behavior in the past 12 months out of fear of antisemitism. One in four (25%) said they were the target of an antisemitic incident – a physical attack, a remark in person, or antisemitic vandalism or messaging –  in the past year. Antisemitism is also an issue that affects more than just Jews: over nine in ten respondents to AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 survey of U.S. adults believe antisemitism affects society as a whole, and everyone is responsible for combating it.

In May 2023, the White House released its first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which includes dozens of AJC's recommendations and closely resembles AJC's Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America. The National Strategy lists hundreds of actions federal agencies and all of society can take to mitigate antisemitism in America. Central to the National Strategy is the importance of reporting bias-based incidents and hate crimes, to allow policymakers, law enforcement, social media companies, and others to develop effective strategies to combat bias-motivated crimes.

The National Strategy calls on the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), alongside other federal agencies, to increase awareness of reporting hate crimes and incidents of bias and harassment and ensure affected communities know how to file such claims with ED and DOJ Civil Rights divisions. They, and all other federal agencies, are obligated to adhere to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The National Strategy also includes guidance for law enforcement and social media companies to respond to antisemitic incidents. 

Filing complaints about antisemitic incidents or crimes, including incidents of antisemitism in the form of anti-Zionism, to any of the above organizations helps inform the practical distribution of resources in response to the issue and provides an opportunity for the victim or witness to seek recourse and contribute to the recording of hate crimes and incidents. Yet, according to AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report, only 21% of American Jews who were the personal target of antisemitism reported it anywhere, including to the police, to social media or online platforms, to their employers or school administration.  Of the 39% of U.S. adults who personally saw or heard any antisemitic incidents, only 14% reported it anywhere. Reporting antisemitism is vital to understanding the true scope of the problem. It is important to note that filing a complaint might not directly lead to litigation. Legal action might be taken if the incident rises to the level of a hate crime, but incidents that fall below the threshold of a crime might not be pursued by the above parties.

This guide was created to advise potential victims of bias-motivated discrimination or hate on how to file complaints and/or report hate crimes through official channels. Additional educational resources on antisemitism (below) by AJC provide much-needed context for understanding the many different ways that hatred and prejudice toward Jews can manifest.

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Department of Education

Reporting

ED’s Office for Civil Rights has a homepage detailing how to File a Discrimination Complaint within the department, also available in PDF form. 

  1. File a complaint by fax or written mail to your nearest OCR enforcement office or by email to [email protected]. File a complaint online using OCR’s electronic complaint form.
  2. Regardless of forum, complaints should include:
    1. The complainant’s name, address and, if possible (although not required), a telephone number where the complainant may be reached during business hours;
    2. Information about the person(s) or class of persons injured by the alleged discriminatory act(s) (names of the injured person(s) are not required);
    3. The name and location of the institution that committed the alleged discriminatory act(s); and
    4. A description of the alleged discriminatory act(s) in sufficient detail to enable OCR to understand what occurred, when it occurred, and the basis for the alleged discrimination (race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age)
  3. Submit in a timely manner: A complaint must be filed within 180 calendar days of the date of the alleged incident. In some cases, OCR can extend filing time for good cause shown under certain circumstances.

ED Resources

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Department of Justice

Reporting

The Department of Justice has two forums for reporting anti-Jewish incidents: hate crime incidents and non-hate crime incidents.

Hate crime incidents: 

  1. Bias-motivated hate crimes should first be reported to your local police station.
  2. Once reported to local law enforcement, hate crimes can be reported online to the FBI here, by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or to your local FBI field office.
  3. The FBI may reach out to you for more information as they investigate the crime.

Non-crime hate incidents:

  1. Any incident can be reported to DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. 
  2. File a report of a civil rights violation here.
  3. Once a report is filed, outcomes can include DOJ: 
    1. Following up for more information
    2. Starting a mediation or investigation
    3. Directing you to another organization for further help, or
    4. Informing you that they cannot help


DOJ Resources

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Other Federal Agencies

In addition to the Departments of Education and Justice, other federal agencies provide a forum to file incidents of discrimination, including:

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Local Law Enforcement

How to report antisemitism to the police:

  1. If you experience or witness an antisemitic attack or incident, call 911—even if it's not an emergency.
  2. The 911 dispatcher will alert an officer on duty, who will come to you to document the bias-motivated incident or crime. A hate incident is bias-motivated but falls below the threshold of a crime, such as an insult or the dissemination of hateful content in public places.
  3. If reporting a crime, an officer will collect your personal information such as name, date of birth, and contact information.
  4. Your contact information will be given to a hate crime detective or Jewish officer liaison, who will be in touch with you directly.

If you see or experience antisemitism, consider reaching out to the Secure Community Network (SCN) for assistance. SCN is the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America and runs a Duty Desk that provides timely, credible threat and incident information to both law enforcement and community partners. The SCN Duty Desk is available 24/7/365 via [email protected] or by calling 844-SCN-DESK. If you need further assistance, please also be in touch with your local law enforcement agency or FBI field office.

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Social Media Companies

We can all play a role in reducing online hate. Don’t be silent when you see an instance of antisemitism or other forms of hatred on social media. Report it to the platform directly.

  1. Tap options symbol (dots, arrow, carrot) on the post, profile, or comment.
  2. Tap Report.
  3. Select the reason (hateful conduct, hate speech, inappropriate) as listed on the platform.

For each social media platform, community guidelines detail the type of content that violates a company’s policies. Below are the specific guidelines pertinent to antisemitic content for each identified platform.

Platform specific guidance:

X (formerly Twitter)

  • Help.twitter.com then click “Safety and security” then “Report abusive behavior” 
  • The X Rules: Code of Conduct 
    • Safety
      • Violent Content: Explicitly threatening, inciting, glorifying, or expressing desire for violence is not allowed.
      • Violent & Hateful Entities: You can’t affiliate with or promote the activities of violent and hateful entities.
      • Abuse/Harassment: You may not share abusive content, engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite other people to do so.
      • Hateful conduct: You may not attack other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.
      • Perpetrators of Violent Attacks: We will remove any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks, and may also remove posts disseminating manifestos or other content produced by perpetrators.

Facebook: 

  • Facebook.com/Help then click “Policies and Reporting” then “Reporting Abuse”
  • Facebook Community Standards
    • Violence and Criminal Behavior
      • Dangerous Organizations and Individuals: Facebook does not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on its platforms, especially those entities that engage in serious offline harm. They also do not allow content that glorifies, supports, or represents violent events,  including terrorist attacks, hate events, or hate crimes.
      • Violence and Incitement: Facebook aims to prevent potential offline violence that may be related to content on its platforms, removing language that incites or facilitates violence and credible threats to public or personal safety.
    • Safety
      • Bullying and Harassment: From making threats and releasing personally identifiable information to sending threatening messages and making unwanted malicious contact. Facebook does not permit this behavior because it prevents people from feeling safe and respected. 
    • Objectionable content
      • Hate Speech: Facebook does not allow hate speech on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads. It creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion, and in some cases may promote offline violence. Hate speech is defined by Facebook as direct attacks against people — rather than concepts or institutions— on the basis of protected characteristics: race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, and serious disease.

Instagram: 

TikTok: 

  • Support.tiktok.com then click “Safety” then “Report a Problem”
  • TikTok Community Guidelines 
    • Safety and Civility
      • Violent and Criminal Behavior: TikTok does not allow any violent threats, promotion of violence, incitement to violence, or promotion of criminal activities that may harm people, animals, or property.
      • Hate Speech and Hateful Behavior: TikTok does not allow any hate speech, hateful behavior, or promotion of hateful ideologies. This includes explicit or implicit content that attacks a protected group. (Note: TikTok’s Safety Center includes a policy page on Countering Hate Speech & Behavior.)
      • Violent and Hateful Organizations and Individuals: TikTok does not allow the presence of violent and hateful organizations or individuals on its platform. These actors include violent extremists, violent criminal organizations, violent political organizations, hateful organizations, and individuals who cause serial or mass violence.
    • Integrity and Authenticity
      • Misinformation: TikTok does not allow misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent. THEY rely on independent fact-checking partners, guidance from public health authorities, and our database of previously fact-checked claims to help assess the accuracy of content.

YouTube: 

  • Youtube.com, on the video page, click “Settings” or “More” (three dots), and then “Report”
  • YouTube Community Guidelines: 
    • Violent or Dangerous Content
      • Harmful or Dangerous Content Policy: YouTube doesn’t allow content that encourages dangerous or illegal activities that risk serious physical harm or death. This content includes harmful or dangerous acts, challenges, and pranks
      • Hate Speech Policy: YouTube doesn’t allow content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, including ethnicity, nationality, race, and religion.
      • Violent or Graphic Content Policy: YouTube does not allow violent or gory content intended to shock or disgust viewers, or content encouraging others to commit violent acts. Such content can include inciting others to commit violent acts against individuals or a defined group of people.
      • Harassment and Cyberbullying: YouTube does not allow content that targets someone with prolonged insults or slurs based on their physical traits or protected group status, like age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or race. They also don’t allow other harmful behaviors, like threats or doxxing.

SnapChat: 

  • help.snapchat.com then click “Staying safe” then click “Reporting abuse or safety concerns”
  • Snapchat Community Guidelines
    • Threats, Violence & Harm: Snap prohibits encouraging or engaging in violent or dangerous behavior, as well as intimidating or threatening to harm a person, a group of people, or someone’s property. 
    • Harmful False or Deceptive Information: Snap prohibits spreading false information that causes harm or is malicious, such as denying the existence of tragic events or manipulating content for false or misleading purposes.
    • Hateful Content, Terrorism, and Violent Extremism: Snap prohibits terrorist organizations, violent extremists, and hate groups, as well as content that advocates or advances terrorism or violent extremism. It also prohibits hate speech or content that demeans, defames, or promotes discrimination or violence on the basis of protected characteristics including race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion.
    • Harassment and Bullying: Snapchat prohibits bullying or harassment of any kind. As a baseline, their policies protect all members of the Snapchat community from demeaning, defamatory, or discriminatory content and advances.
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AJC Resources

Antisemitism is more than just a hatred of Jews for religion, ethnicity, or national origin—it is a certain perception of Jews rooted in conspiracy theories about Jewish control, manipulation, and power. It blames Jews as a collective for society's problems and paints them as scapegoats for why things go wrong; today this most clearly manifests against the Jewish state of Israel.

AJC has developed educational tools to understand both the nefarious and complex nature of antisemitism, including anti-Zionism, as well as how both American Jews and U.S. adults perceive and understand antisemitism in America today.

 

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