Increased Antisemitism in the United States Following Operation Guardian of the Walls Permanent or Short-Lived?

Key Findings:

The researchers emphasize three main recurring phenomena within antisemitism broadly, and contextualise them within the the wave of antisemitism that took place in the US following the conflict between Israel and Hamas in May 2021 (Operation Guardian of the Walls):

1. The gradual and incremental nature of the development of anti-Jewish concepts. Both antisemitic views and public expressions originate within social and cultural heritages, in ideas tied to religious beliefs, sociopolitical ideology, and race-based theories. 

2. The turbulent and explosive dynamic of antisemitic ideas, especially in regards to the pipeline of obscure, abstract concepts into physical, public expressions of antisemitism. Contemporary divisive, polarizing trends and expressions of hatred are exacerbated by the unrestrained and vitriolic discourse taking place on social media.

3. That antisemitism comes in waves, triggered by social, economic, and political developments, often completely unrelated to Jews in general or specific Jewish communities. The recent upsurge of antisemitism across the US (and globally) closely followed a series of crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, increased interracial tension, mounting political polarization in the election year, and escalation in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

By this analysis, it may be assumed that the Operation Guardian of the Walls ignited pre-existing embers of anti-Jewishness, and enabled their advance from idea to public expression. The American extreme Left saw such a transformation from antisemitic rhetoric into physical acts, and rapidly so. The Anti-Defamation League reported an increase in antisemitic statements on social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok (ADL, 2021a). 131 incidents were reported in the week preceding the operation, while 193 incidents were reported during the operation, 11 of which constituted violent attacks against Jews.

Grave violent incidents (mainly perpetrated by pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli groups) that occurred during this period include: May 18, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attacked Jewish diners at a restaurant in Los Angeles (Moon & Chan, 2021); May 20, a Jewish man was attacked in New York City, close to the scene of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Times Square (Chavez & Gingras, 2021); A number of incidents involving severe harassment of Jews in Florida (Levin, 2021); May 22, Jewish teenagers were attacked on a street in Brooklyn and later near a synagogue. Following the attack, the local police stepped up security around Jewish institutions in the city (Setty, 2021).

In comparison to previous escalations between Israel and Gaza (e.g., Operation Protective Edge in 2014) the increase in antisemitic incidents and media/social discourse as a result of Operation Guardian of the Walls were: more associated with violent antisemitic incidents; voiced before and after demonstrations against the operation, not only during (ADL, 2014); containing of more pro-Palestinian demonstrators; occurring in close proximity to pro-Palestinian demonstrations (Beauchamp, 2021); having broad geographic distribution. 

American Jews now face a cohesive, organized, and effective pro-Palestinian camp, successful in recruiting support (especially of minority communities). The criticism of Israel within the Democratic Party and among several civil social organizations also grew significantly. From a representative sample of the US Jewish population immediately after the operation ended: 77% were more worried about antisemitism in America; 41% were more concerned about their personal safety; 60% reported that they had witnessed antisemitic conduct or remarks in the public sphere and on the internet. (ADL, 2021c).

These events demonstrate common confluence between anti-Israel expressions and antisemitic ones, and easily challenge the assertion that antisemitism and anti-Israel/Zionism are two completely separate and distinctive phenomena. There is no reason to believe that this overlap will subside any time soon.

The researchers’ analysis of levels of normalization and mainstreaming of antisemitism in regards to delegitimization of Israel (or under the guise of critical attitude towards it) led to conclusion that it is too early to determine whether the antisemitic events of May 2021 reflect a substantive change in the development of antisemitism in the US.