A rise in hate
The war in Gaza may feel far away, but the conflict has very real consequences for Jewish Americans across the nation. From college campuses to places of worship to everyday interactions, Jews in the U.S. have felt the impact of a rise in hate driven in part by the Israel-Hamas war.
Last year saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents against Jewish Americans ever recorded by a group tracking attacks in 1979. And the rise in hate, even violence, amid the war is impacting Muslims, too. The Council on American Islamic Relations warned earlier this year that it has received 8,061 complaints of Islamophobia in 2023 – nearly half of which were made in the last three months of the year.
So what should be done as Jewish-Americans and Arab-Americans are the subject of attacks? Despite their cultural differences, leaders on both sides of the cultural divide are calling for protection and accountability.