February 12, 2025 — New York, NY
What American Jews Think About Anti-Israel Protests, Leaving America Due to Antisemitism, Sources of Antisemitism, and More
For the first time in the history of American Jewish Committee (AJC)’s State of Antisemitism in America Report, a majority (56%) of American Jews report changing their behavior out of fear of antisemitism. The 2024 report, released today, is the first analysis of American Jews and U.S. adults to look at the impact of antisemitism during the full year following October 7, 2023, and the Hamas-launched war against Israel.
The report is the largest annual poll of its kind and the first to analyze a half decade’s worth of this type of data from both American Jews and U.S. adults. AJC began polling American Jews in 2019 and both groups in 2020, allowing for a richer and unique understanding of how experiences with antisemitism in the United States have changed over time.
With roughly three-quarters (77%) of American Jews saying they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the U.S. because of the October 7 attacks, it is no surprise that nearly six in 10 (56%) American Jews report changing their behavior over the past 12 months out of concern for their safety. This is a sharp increase from previous years – jumping from 38% in 2022 to 46% in 2023 to 56% in 2024.
“Antisemitism has reached a tipping point in America, threatening the freedoms of American Jews and casting an ominous shadow across our society,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for leaders across the U.S. We must act now to protect Jews – and America – from rising antisemitism. That one-third of American Jews have been the target of antisemitism in the past year should raise red flags for every American and our leaders.”
American Jews see antisemitism as emerging from diverse sources. The 2024 survey asked American Jews to assess how much of an antisemitic threat certain groups or issues – the extreme political right, the extreme political left, extremism in the name of Islam, and Christian nationalism – pose in the United States today. Roughly one-third of American Jews say each of those four represents a very serious antisemitic threat: extremism in the name of Islam (33%), Christian nationalism (33%), the extreme political left (33%), and the extreme political right (33%). Roughly three-quarters or more say that each group or issue represents at least a slight antisemitic threat.
Safety and Security
The vast majority (90%) of American Jews say antisemitism has increased either a lot (61%) or somewhat (29%) since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and one-third (33%) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism – in person or virtually – at least once over the last year:
- 23% report being the target of an antisemitic remark in person
- 17% say they were the target of an antisemitic remark or post online or through social media
- 6% say they were the victim of antisemitic vandalism to, or messaging (such as flyers or pamphlets) left on their personal property
- 2% say they were the target of an antisemitic attack in person, during which the attacker physically touched them
- 10% report being targeted by any other kind of antisemitism, not already asked about
Three-quarters (78%) say they did not report any of the antisemitism they experienced, with more than half (54%) saying they didn’t think anything would be done if they reported.
Nearly three-quarters of Jewish adults (73%) say Jews in the U.S. are less secure than a year ago. By comparison, 63% said the status of Jews was less secure in 2023, up from 41% who said the same in 2022, and 31% who said the same in 2021.
For the first time in the six-year history of the survey examining American Jews’ experiences, a majority (60%) of Jewish respondents say antisemitism has increased a lot in the past five years, up from 50% in 2023.
A quarter (25%) of Jewish adults report that a local business has been targeted with antisemitism in the past year and one-third (30%) say the Jewish institutions they are affiliated with have been the target of antisemitism in the past five years, an increase from the previous years in which roughly a quarter said the same.
The 2024 survey asked Jewish adults whether they have considered, in the past five years, leaving the United States for another country due to antisemitism: 13% say they have considered it. In a different AJC survey, AJC’s 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, released in June 2024, Jewish adults were asked “Have you considered leaving the United States due to antisemitism to move to another country in the past five years prior to October 7?” At that time, only 6% of respondents said yes.
Changing Behaviors
For the first time in the six-year history of the survey of American Jews, a majority (56%) say they changed their behavior – by avoiding certain behaviors or activities – over the last year because of fears of antisemitism.
- 40% say they have avoided publicly wearing or displaying things that might identify them as a Jew, up from 26% in 2023
- 37% say they have avoided posting content online that would identify them as a Jew or reveal their views on Jewish issues, compared with 30% in 2023
- 31% say they have avoided certain places, events, or situations out of concern for their safety or comfort as a Jewish person, up from 26% in 2023
More than four in 10 (43%) American Jews say they are very (7%) or somewhat (37%) worried that they will be a victim of antisemitism in the next year. This fear increases when asked about loved ones, with roughly half of American Jews (52%) saying they are very (14%) or somewhat (39%) worried that a family member, such as parents, a spouse or partner, or children will be a victim of antisemitism in the next 12 months.
The data also points to an important uptick in institutional affiliation in the year since the October 7 attacks. The 2024 survey found that 31% of American Jews say they are not affiliated with any Jewish institutions, down seven percentage points from 2023 (38%). This suggests that American Jews may be seeking community and spaces in which they can express their full identities.
Israel
At a time when the Jewish community’s historical connection to Israel is being called into question, 81% of American Jews say that caring about Israel is very (51%) or somewhat (30%) important to what being Jewish means to them.
Notably, U.S. adults also recognize and understand the connection between Jewish identity and Israel, with 85% saying the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic. This is in line with American Jews, with 85% saying the same.
While 23% of U.S. adults believe it is either completely (8%) or somewhat (15%) acceptable to protest against Israel by boycotting American Jewish individuals or Jewish events – illustrated by the increasing protests, demonstrations, and even violence outside of and directed at Jewish institutions – a large majority of the public is showing an awareness of the connection between antisemitism and demonization of Israel. Nearly eight in 10 (77%) U.S. adults say it is unacceptable (either completely (52%) or somewhat (25%)) to protest against Israel by boycotting American Jewish individuals or Jewish events. In addition, when asked which places in the U.S. are acceptable to conduct protests against the Israeli government, fewer than one in 10 U.S. adults say it is acceptable to conduct protests at an Israeli business or restaurant (6%), a Jewish business or restaurant (5%), a synagogue (5%), or a Jewish day school (4%).
U.S. adults were also asked to choose between two characterizations of Hamas, even if neither exactly matched their opinion. A shocking one in five (20%) U.S. adults surveyed say Hamas is a militant resistance group that works primarily in the best interest of the Palestinian people, compared to the vast majority (80%) who express the opinion that Hamas is a terrorist organization that works primarily in its own best interest.
About two-thirds (67%) of U.S. adults who use social media say they have seen or heard information about the Hamas terrorist attacks and the subsequent war on their social media feeds. Among this group, 43% who have seen information about the Hamas terrorist attacks and/or the Israel-Hamas war on their social media feeds say the information was somewhat (29%) or mostly (14%) negative about Israel. About one-third (32%) say the information was somewhat or mostly positive, with one-quarter (25%) saying the information was neutral in regard to Israel.
The impact of what one sees on social media cannot be overstated. Nearly four in 10 (38%) acknowledge that the information they see on social media informs their views on the war a lot (9%) or some (29%). Another four in 10 (40%) say that information informs their views a little. Only a quarter (23%) say that what they see or hear on social media does not at all inform their views on the war.
Young Americans
AJC’s 2024 survey found that younger American Jews are more likely to have experienced antisemitism than their older counterparts. In the past 12 months, four in 10 (41%) young American Jews (ages 18-29) say they have been the target of antisemitism at least once, compared to 31% of U.S. Jews who are 30 and older. Critically, their peers – U.S. adults of the same ages – are less likely to know what antisemitism is. About four in 10 (41%) young Americans are unfamiliar with the term “antisemitism” – they have either heard the term, but are unsure what it means (30%) or have never heard the term before (11%).
More than one-third (35%) of American Jewish college students report experiencing antisemitism at least once during their time on campus with roughly half (48%) saying that they have felt uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because they are Jewish; avoided wearing, carrying or displaying things that could identify them as Jewish; or avoided expressing views on Israel on campus or with classmates because of fears of antisemitism.
The 2024 survey also asked Jewish students about their learning environments. One-third (33%) of current and recent students say that student life and/or student activities promoted antisemitism at least once; 32% say the same about faculty on campus, and 24% share that sentiment regarding class curricula.
American Jewish college students were asked, in two separate questions, whether they had noticed any anti-Israel protests or demonstrations or pro-Palestinian encampments since October 7, 2023. Half (50%) of American Jewish college students say they noticed anti-Israel protests or demonstrations, and about four in 10 (42%) noticed pro-Palestinian encampments. For those who had noticed demonstrations, roughly half (51%) said those demonstrations made them feel very (25%) or somewhat (26%) unsafe.
Jewish parents of high school students were also asked how important reports of antisemitism on campus are when thinking about choosing a college. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) say those reports are very (51%) or somewhat (17%) important in that decision-making process.
Antisemitism Online and on Social Media
Online and social media continue to be the places where American Jews experience antisemitism the most. Roughly seven in 10 (69%) Jewish adults report experiencing antisemitism online or on social media – including those who say they have been personally targeted and those who say they have seen or heard antisemitic incidents. This increases to eight in 10 (83%) among young Jewish adults. Of the U.S. adults who witnessed antisemitism in the past 12 months, the majority (70%) say they saw it online or on social media.
For American Jews who have seen or heard antisemitism online in the past year, one in five (20%) say the online incident(s) made them feel physically threatened. Among those who say they felt physically threatened, 58% say they felt threatened on Facebook and 37% say they felt threatened on Instagram. Nearly four in 10 (37%) say they felt physically threatened on X, one-third (32%) say the same about TikTok, and one in five (20%) report feeling threatened on YouTube. It is worth noting, based on previous AJC surveys, that more American Jews over the age of 18 report using Facebook than other platforms, therefore the likelihood of experiencing antisemitism on that platform is higher.
As the availability and use of artificial intelligence (AI) grows, roughly half of American Jews do not trust companies that use generative AI to protect their products or platforms from antisemitism (49%), misinformation about Jews (53%), anti-Israel bias (55%), or misinformation about Israelis (55%).
The Data Demands Action
The results detailed in AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, which also reflect a large body of anecdotal evidence, are a startling revelation of the depth and breadth of antisemitism in the United States and its effects not just on American Jews, but also the public at large.
Increases in antisemitism are often associated with a rise in general polarization and division and indicative of broader threats to democracy. The 2024 surveys asked American Jews and U.S. adults about their level of trust in the way democracy is functioning in the U.S. compared to five years ago. A large majority of American Jews (72%) and most U.S. adults (66%) have less trust in the way democracy is functioning.
“The good news is more people are aware of antisemitism as a societal problem,” said Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism. “The vast majority (90%) of U.S. adults believe that antisemitism affects society as a whole and everyone is responsible for countering it. A whole-of-society problem necessitates a whole-of-society approach. It’s encouraging that one-third (34%) of U.S. adults have spoken out against antisemitism, but we need everyone to recognize they can no longer stand on the sidelines. They must be part of the solution. We are working to turn allyship into real, tangible solutions as we continue to confront this staggering surge in antisemitism that has only increased since the horrific events of October 7.”
The data from AJC’s 2024 report demands action. As increasing extremism erodes the fabric of our communities, AJC is working to both preserve democracy and fight antisemitism in the United States and around the world.
At a time of hyperpolarization and distrust in democratic systems, AJC remains committed to the need for sustained bipartisan advocacy to protect Jews and all minorities – an approach that has led to the adoption of legislation to improve hate crime reporting and to protect religiously affiliated institutions from threats and acts of damage or destruction. In addition, AJC continues to support robust funding for nonprofit security grants.
AJC has and continues to work with lawmakers across the country – and the world – to adopt and implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism as a key policy tool to understand antisemitism and properly enforce hate crime statutes. AJC also played a significant role in the development and implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, the first whole-of- government effort in the U.S. to counter antisemitism.
AJC has long recognized the impact of social media and the information shared on platforms – whether factual or not – on public discourse, and its propensity to spur violence. As such, AJC continues to pursue reform to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act to hold social media companies liable for the spread of antisemitic and hate-fueled violence on their platforms. AJC has also established years-long relationships with social media companies, working to make these issues a priority for these companies and their platforms. These relationships have allowed AJC to weigh in on critical decisions, including Meta’s decision to revise its policy on “Zionist” as a proxy for Jew, and ensure all companies crack down on Holocaust denial on their platforms. AJC continues to work with and call on tech companies to train AI models to properly identify antisemitism, including contemporary terms and tropes; name antisemitism within terms of service; make it easier for users to report antisemitism; enhance policies and not make changes to existing policies that would result in increasing the visibility and distribution of antisemitic content; improve moderation systems; and publish and improve transparency reports.
The recently launched AJC Center for Education Advocacy is pursuing a bold, multi-tiered approach, expanding on the organization’s work to ensure that Jews of all ages, in all educational spaces, can learn and grow without the threats of harassment, intimidation, and violence. At a time of increasing antisemitism in all levels of education, AJC will continue to empower high school and college students in their advocacy for the Jewish people and Israel, offer educational workshops and training for school administrators, faculty, and parents, and partner with higher education and K-12 leaders to address issues on their campuses and foster learning environments that are rooted in critical thinking, committed to democratic values, and refuse to normalize antisemitism in any form. AJC’s guides for higher education and K-12 administrators have been cited by the U.S. Congress as a tool for countering antisemitism on campus.
In December 2024, in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, AJC released Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition, a groundbreaking resource that paves the way for deeper and wider cooperation in a shared commitment to eradicating antisemitism at a time when recent events have challenged Catholic-Jewish relations. To make education on antisemitism more accessible, and help the general public better identify and understand it, AJC plans to release additional versions of Translate Hate in various languages (including a Spanish version already available), and for different communities.
Through AJC’s groundbreaking and constantly evolving Call to Action Against Antisemitism, the organization will continue to provide tailored and specific recommendations for all sectors of society to understand, respond to, and prevent antisemitism by pursuing policies at the federal, state, and local level and working with administrators at colleges and K-12 schools, law enforcement agencies, and interreligious partners, among others.
The surveys of American Jews and U.S. adults were conducted for the nonpartisan American Jewish Committee by the independent research firm SSRS. The Jewish American survey collected data from a nationally representative sample of 1,732 Jews, ages 18 or older from October 8 - November 29, 2024. Most respondents participated via a self-administered web survey and the remainder were interviewed on the phone. The U.S. adult survey collected data from a nationally representative sample of 2,056 general population adults, 18 or older, from October 10 - November 25, 2024, via the SSRS Opinion Panel. The margin of error for Jewish respondents is +/-3.3 percentage points and for total U.S. adult respondents is +/-3.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
In May 2024, AJC released the latest iteration of its Survey of Antisemitism in France and in June released the 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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