Explaining the Rise of Antisemitism in the United States

Abstract

In October 2021, the American Jewish Committee released a survey that indicated that one out of four American Jews was victimized by antisemitism that year. Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League reported in 2022 that the number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached its highest level since the organization began tracking antisemitism in 1979. The current research investigates the link between local social factors and the proliferation of antisemitic violence in the U.S., and more broadly expands the theoretical and conceptual understanding of the causes of biased violence. Using the University of Massachusetts Lowell Far-Right Incident Database, 2968 antisemitic incidents were identified between 2015 and 2021. Using a negative binomial regression clustered by county and state and piecewise slope analyses for antisemitic incidents in 2021, we find evidence that escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine and local political, social, and economic conditions play a role in the risk of antisemitic incidents.