GAZA WARWhy the Gaza War Has Sparked a Wave of Antisemitism and Islamophobia in the US
As the war in Gaza rages for a second month, violence of a different kind is erupting across the United States. Attacks on American Jews, Muslims and Arabs have risen to levels not seen in years, fueled by a conflict that often triggers strong feelings on both sides of the issue.
As the war in Gaza rages for a second month, violence of a different kind is erupting across the United States.
Attacks on American Jews, Muslims and Arabs have risen to levels not seen in years, fueled by a conflict that often triggers strong feelings on both sides of the issue.
The Anti-Defamation League, an American Jewish advocacy group, documented a staggering 832 antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism and harassment between Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel, and Nov. 7. That amounts to an average of nearly 28 incidents a day and represents an increase of 315% over the same period last year.
At the same time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights organization, reports an “unprecedented surge in bigotry” since the war started. Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, the group received 1,283 requests for help and complaints of anti-Muslim or anti-Arab bias, an increase of 216% over an average 29-day period last year.
Behind the numbers are real people. While the majority of the incidents reported by the two groups have involved nonviolent acts, such as harassment and intimidation, and don’t rise to the level of hate crimes, at least two recent deaths have been tied to the conflict.
On Oct. 14, Joseph M. Czuba allegedly fatally stabbed 6-year-old Palestinian American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume after seriously wounding his mother, Hanaan Shahin, in their home outside Chicago. Czuba was charged with murder and attempted murder.
Then last week, Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish protester, died following an altercation at dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations in a Los Angeles suburb. Loay Alnaji, 50, a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, was arrested Thursday in connection with Kessler’s death.
The hate-fueled violence has spread to U.S. colleges and universities, as tensions have heightened between pro- and anti-Israel student groups.
A Cornell University student was charged with making threats against Jewish students. At Drexel University in Philadelphia, a Jewish student’s dorm room door was set on fire. And a Muslim student at Stanford University was allegedly run down by a driver making a racist remark.
Policymakers and law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned this month that the bureau is concerned that violent extremists — both domestic and homegrown — “will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against ordinary Americans.”
