Antisemitism in New York: crimes against Jews soars

Hate crimes have skyrocketed in New York over the past five years. This was revealed in a report conducted by the Office of Budget Policy and Analysis of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. According to the study, the number of incidents increased by 12.7% in 2023 alone.

In 2023, 1,089 hate crime incidents were reported statewide. The office said this is the highest number since the Hate Crimes Act required annual data collection and reporting.

It is also a 69% increase since 2019. With the exception of 2020 due to the pandemic, there has been a steady increase in hate crimes since 2018 and the number of reported incidents has more than doubled between 2018 and 2023.

Similarly, the report explained that these crimes are increasingly targeting people rather than property, and most attacks are directed against Jewish, black and gay New Yorkers. In fact, in 2023, 44% of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88% of religiously motivated hate crimes targeted Jewish victims, the largest proportion of all such crimes.

The office highlighted that anti-Semitic hate crimes remain consistently the most frequently reported. "There were 121 more incidents against Jewish New Yorkers in 2023 compared to 2022," the report highlighted.

However, the office also insisted that the proportion of racially motivated incidents in the state is also higher now than it was five years ago.

"The most common bias motivation reported in New York State in 2023 is for religion, with 543 incidents or about half. Race, ethnicity and national origin constitutes approximately one-third, and sexual orientation (LGBTQ) almost 17 percent. In 2023, there were fewer than 10 incidents involving other motivations, including gender, age and disability," the office detailed.

In that sense, the state comptroller's office argued that policies should be implemented to help decrease cases of hate crimes.

"The fight against hate crimes requires community, faith and political leaders willing to take an active role in denouncing hate, investing in reporting, prevention and protection, and enhancing educational efforts that center on celebrating diversity as a strength," the office said.