On Tuesday, the Anti-Defamation League of the Pacific Northwest released its annual report, which showed a significant increase in anti-Jewish harassment and vandalism. And the numbers were increasing even before the Israel-Gaza conflict began in October.
“Unfortunately, what we saw was that 2023 was the worst year for antisemitic incidents, building on the dramatic year-over-year increases that we have already been seeing over the past couple of years,” said Miri Cypers, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of the Pacific Northwest.
Since 1979, the organization has released an annual audit of anti-Jewish occurrences in order to combat antisemitism.
The figures from last year, which show a 192% increase in anti-Jewish incidents in Washington state since 2022, also show an increase in vandalism and harassment in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. According to the report, there were 307 anti-Jewish incidents in the Northwest last year, up from 130 in 2022. Last year, Washington state reported 190 anti-Jewish crimes, including 31 acts of damage, one assault, and 158 instances of harassment.
The FBI says it is still monitoring anti-Jewish occurrences and hate crimes in Washington and has noticed an increase. Though the statistics have been climbing year after year, FBI Special Agent Ryan Bruin said there has been an increase in anti-Jewish events since the Israel-Gaza War began on October 7.
“We’ve seen a marked increase in hoax bombs and active shooter threats targeting synagogues and Jewish Community Centers both in Washington state and nationwide,” he said.