Indiana sees nation's highest spike of antisemitism
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Antisemitic incidents in Indiana more than doubled in 2024, the biggest increase nationwide in a year when anti-Jewish activity reached its highest level recorded in nearly half a century.
Why it matters: Antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which became a flashpoint on college campuses and a pretext for the Trump administration to later threaten college funding and revoke visas for international students.
- Some Jewish leaders have warned that President Trump's invocation of antisemitism to justify slashing college funds and deporting student protesters risks making Jewish people scapegoats for his policies.
Driving the news: The number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. has surged almost 900% in 10 years, according to an annual Anti-Defamation League survey released last month.
- A majority of all incidents were related to Israel, the survey found, and there was a marked increase in antisemitic incidents on college campuses — an 84% increase from 2023.
What they're saying: "The Jewish community is being targeted with hate in ways that we have not experienced in generations," David Goldenberg, regional director of the ADL Midwest, said during a news conference last month.
By the numbers: The annual ADL audit recorded 9,354 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country in 2024.
- The total represents a 5% increase from 2023 (the last record-setting year).
- It's the highest level recorded since ADL started tracking this data in 1979.
Zoom in: 142 incidents were reported in Indiana, a 141% increase from the previous year.
- The Indianapolis metro area saw 52 incidents.
- Bloomington, the home of IU's flagship campus, and Purdue's home of West Lafayette saw 21 and 12 incidents, respectively.
Caveat: The ADL said it did not count criticism of Israel as an antisemitic incident, but did count incidents as antisemitic if someone called for the destruction of Israel or used antisemitic tropes in discussing Israel.
State of play: Indiana's college campuses, like many around the country, saw pro-Palestinian protests last spring, prompting Gov. Mike Braun to call for a review of all state educational institutions' antisemitism policies.
- IU, in particular, saw dramatic protests that resulted in more than 30 arrests as state police disbanded an encampment constructed in Dunn Meadow.
- The university added several restrictions around protest and demonstration activity on campus.
- It's one of 60 colleges and universities being investigated by the federal government for its response to reported antisemitism on campus.