Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc., reaffirms its commitments to combat antisemitism in all its forms and calls for increased security to protect members of the Jewish community and all who interact with Jewish institutions.
Globally, antisemitism continues to rise at alarming rates, including an unprecedented spike in violence in recent years. Since October 7, 2023, fervent antisemitic and anti-Zionist hatred and conspiracy theories not only proliferated, they have become normalized. This growing hate is permeating all corners of society, including online where dangerous rhetoric and falsehoods are thriving and result in deadly consequences. Recent violent attacks in the US, where a number of community members were killed or critically injured, have amplified Jewish concerns and fear regarding the safety of their families and themselves.
Hadassah’s report “From Fear to Resilience: Women Facing Antisemitism” found that 62 percent of women surveyed felt unsafe as a result of their Jewish identities. Although Jews only make up two percent of the US population, single-bias anti-Jewish hate crimes consistently comprise over half of all religion-based hate crimes reported to the FBI. A 2024 survey of around 1,700 American Jewish adults found that that 69 percent reported experiencing antisemitism online or on social media. None of us should have to fear for our safety because of our religious identity or support for Israel.
Hadassah urges leaders and policymakers to take meaningful steps to support and protect the Jewish community, including to:
- Stand with the Jewish community, both physically at Jewish events and by speaking up in solidarity.
- Publicly call out the dangers of rising antisemitism, conspiracy theories and anti-Zionist rhetoric, including drawing attention to critical hate crime reports and antisemitism statistics.
- Reject and denounce growing unchecked antisemitism online and on social media and encourage social media companies to enforce and strengthen policies regarding the promotion of terrorism, violence, incitement and hateful content on their platforms.
- Increase funding and streamline the application process for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to ensure Jewish organizations can receive much-needed support to protect their constituents from attacks and help foster a sense of stability and security within the Jewish community.