The "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," at Columbia University, in New York City, April 19, 2024. Photo: Caitlin Ochs / Reuters.

Amid Spread of Anti-Israel Encampment Movement, CAM Data Reveals 815% Rise in On-Campus Antisemitic Incidents

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The United States has experienced a disturbing proliferation of antisemitic incidents in recent weeks as anti-Israel demonstrations have swept across colleges and universities nationwide. Jewish students and faculty have faced assaults, harassment, vilification, intimidation, and isolation, and protest encampments have featured the glorification of violence and calls to “remove Zionists” from campuses.

In April 2024 alone, the Antisemitism Research Center by CAM recorded 183 incidents of on-campus antisemitism, marking an 815% increase from April 2023.

Examples of the overt and violent antisemitism on dozens of American campuses are deeply troubling. From vandalism targeting Jewish spaces to physical attacks on Jewish students, these incidents demonstrate the urgent need for concrete measures to address and combat antisemitism in all its contemporary forms. Instances of blatant antisemitism associated with “liberated zones” or encampments first surfaced at Columbia University before spreading throughout the country. During a protest on Columbia’s South Lawn, students chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here.” Additionally, one protester shouted, “We are all Hamas,” while another proclaimed, “October 7th is about to be every day.” Shockingly, Jewish counter-demonstrators were met with a sign reading, “Al-Qasam’s Next Targets,” with an arrow pointing toward them. A leader of the encampment at Columbia University was also expelled from school after stating that “Zionists Don’t Deserve to Live.”

Similar “liberated zones” were carved out at other American higher education institutions. At Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, a Jewish student was allegedly stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag pole after Yale students established their own “Liberated Zone,” similar to the one at Columbia. These encampments, and the antisemitism they foment, also arose at dozens of colleges and universities including Miami University (Ohio), the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, the New School, UC Berkeley, California State Polytechnic University, Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California Los Angeles, Harvard University, and MIT, among other universities.

At Columbia University, more than 100 students were arrested by police after they violently took over Hamilton Hall. At UCLA, a Zionist student holding a “Rape is not resistance” placard was attacked by anti-Israel demonstrators and checkpoints were set up to prevent Zionist students from entering certain campus facilities. At Stanford University, an anti-Israel student was filmed wearing a Hamas headband.

The October 7th massacre and Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip have significantly influenced the frequency and severity of antisemitic incidents on U.S. campuses. Comparing year-to-date data, the Antisemitism Research Center observed a 188% increase in the period ending April 2022 compared to the period ending April 2024 (117 recorded incidents), and a staggering 321% increase (80 recorded incidents) in the period ending April 2023 to compared to the period ending April 2024 in antisemitic incidents across colleges and universities.

This grim outlook underscores the inadequate efforts by administrators to acknowledge the inherently antisemitic nature of these manifestations, characterized by attempts to justify, condone, and celebrate the atrocious crimes against humanity perpetrated by Hamas and other Gaza-based terror entities on that horrific Shabbat morning.

The persecution of Jewish and pro-Israel students on campuses is intensified by policymakers who misclassify these demonstrations as mere “peaceful,” “anti-war” movements, drawing comparisons to protests during the Vietnam War. However, this comparison is deeply flawed for two key reasons. Firstly, anti-war protests during the Vietnam War era aimed to oppose a nationwide draft that resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 American soldiers in a war initiated by the U.S. Secondly, university-wide protests against American military involvement in Vietnam were grounded in a moral stance that distinguished between the values upheld by the U.S. military and those of the Viet Cong. In essence, campus protests were overwhelmingly about opposing U.S. military intervention abroad, not glorifying the adversary.

The current-day encampments often echo chants and display signs advocating for both an “immediate ceasefire” and the “globalization of the Intifada.” This juxtaposition sends a stark message: Israel, a nation that endured the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust at the hands of Hamas, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, is being urged to halt its military operations against terrorists in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinians are encouraged to escalate “armed uprisings.” This narrative not only overlooks the historical context of violence instigated by Hamas and its affiliates but also demands a troubling asymmetrical response that further endangers Israeli civilians, as well Jews in the Diaspora.

Whether these participants are motivated by devout antisemitism or ignorance, administrators and policymakers must be made aware of the increasingly precarious positions Jewish students and faculty find themselves in. The failure to address and condemn such blatant antisemitism not only threatens the safety and well-being of individuals on campus but also undermines the fundamental principles of diversity and tolerance that universities should uphold. Educational institutions must take decisive action to combat antisemitism and ensure campus environments where all members are safe, respected, and valued.

Full data set —

Monthly data:

April 2022 on-campus incidents: 32
April 2023 on-campus incidents: 20

April 2024 on-campus incidents: 183

Month-over-Month change 2022 compared to 2024: 472% increase
Month-over-Month change 2023 compared to 2024: 815% increase

Year-to-Date data (January-April time frame):

Campus incidents in this time frame during 2022: 117
Campus incidents in this time frame during 2023: 80

Campus incidents in this time frame during 2024: 337

Year-to-Date change 2022 compared to 2024: 188% increase
Year-to-Date change 2023 compared to 2024: 321% increase

read more

Join Our Newsletter​

Free to Your Inbox

"*" indicates required fields

Consent*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

More News