According to a new AP-NORC poll, many Jewish adults in the United States express feelings of insecurity and heightened concern for their safety, particularly following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. This poll highlights a notable shift in Jewish adults' perceptions of their personal safety as critical views of the U.S. alliance with Israel have grown among some Americans. The ongoing war in Gaza has prompted widespread protests against Israel's military actions, which coincided with an alarming increase in violent incidents targeting Jewish communities across the country.
The survey reveals that a significant portion of Jewish adults, approximately 30%, report experiencing physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment, or property damage due to their Jewish identity in the past year. Many participants attribute these incidents to a rise in antisemitism, linking their increased feelings of vulnerability to the current geopolitical climate and the widespread protests against Israel's actions in Gaza.
Hal Guberman, a 30-year-old resident of New Jersey, recounted a troubling incident in which a stranger yelled a slur at him while he was walking down the street. This experience has made him apprehensive about visibly expressing his Jewish identity. “That person, they don’t know anything about me. They don’t know my politics or beliefs,” Guberman stated, reflecting on the prejudices that stem from being visibly Jewish.
Moreover, about 60% of Jewish adults believe antisemitism is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the U.S., with the sentiment being particularly strong among those with a close emotional connection to Israel. The poll indicates that about one-third of Jewish adults feel safe as Jewish individuals in the U.S., while another third feel unsafe. The perception of safety has notably declined, with about 60% stating they feel less secure now than before the October 7 attacks.
Erin Baskin, a 36-year-old from Pennsylvania, noted that her sense of safety was already impacted by her prior experiences with antisemitism before the recent violence. “I’ve always grown up with antisemitism,” she explained, describing a context where Jewish identity is often conflated with political issues related to Israel.
In the aftermath of the attack on Israel, many Jewish adults are becoming increasingly hesitant to publicly identify as Jewish. Around 40% say they are “less likely” to wear symbols of their faith, such as a Star of David, fearing it might be misconstrued as support for Israel's military actions. Caitlin Rosendorn, a 24-year-old from Illinois, expressed her concerns about wearing the Star of David, worried it would alienate those who associate it solely with Israel rather than Judaism itself.
Furthermore, the survey indicates that around 10% of Jewish adults report experiencing physical assaults within the past year, while a similar proportion have faced property damage or harassment due to their identity. Additionally, approximately 20% of respondents indicated they have encountered verbal harassment or online bullying related to their Jewish background. Attendance at religious services appears to correlate with heightened sensitivity, as those who attend services frequently report higher instances of harassment.
Conversely, the survey illustrates a divide among Jewish adults regarding whether protesting Israel constitutes antisemitism. While half of the participants believe such protests are not inherently antisemitic, roughly 40% view them as acts of prejudice. There is a more defined consensus regarding actions considered blatantly antisemitic, including vandalizing synagogues and denying the Holocaust. However, public opinion on the definition of antisemitism varies significantly among non-Jewish Americans.
Amanda Goldsmith, a 53-year-old from Chicago, voiced concerns over the increasing comfort with which antisemitic views are expressed in public discourse. She remarked that the alarming freedom with which individuals share harmful sentiments about Jewish people has become a pressing issue that needs addressing.
This AP-NORC poll surveyed 3,040 adults between June 11 and June 17, capturing a representative sample of the U.S. population, including 1,022 Jewish individuals. The margin of sampling error for the overall adult population is ±2.8 percentage points, while it is ±5.0 percentage points for Jewish respondents.
