“The lid to the sewers is off.” Those were the chilling words of Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The group tracks incidents of antisemitic hate across the country and they have had their plates full since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. In the three-month period from October 7 to December 7, they recorded an “unprecedented” increase, with more than 2,000 incidents reported. That’s an increase of 337% over the same period in the previous year. It wasn’t all graffiti and hateful rhetoric at campus rallies, either. More than three dozen cases of physical assault were reported. The ADL is calling on public officials and college leaders to “turn down the temperature” before more violence takes place.

New York, NY, December 11, 2023 … Since the Hamas massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, U.S. antisemitic incidents reached the highest number of incidents during any two-month period since ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) began tracking in 1979, according to preliminary data released today.

Between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, ADL recorded a total of 2,031 antisemitic incidents, up from 465 incidents during the same period in 2022, representing a 337-percent increase year-over-year. This includes 40 incidents of physical assault, 337 incidents of vandalism, 749 incidents of verbal or written harassment and 905 rallies including antisemitic rhetoric, expressions of support for terrorism against the state of Israel and/or anti-Zionism. On average, over the last 61 days, Jews in America experienced nearly 34 antisemitic incidents per day.

“This terrifying pattern of antisemitic attacks has been relentless since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, with no signs of diminishing,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “The lid to the sewers is off, and Jewish communities all across the country are being inundated with hate. Public officials and college leaders must turn down the temperature and take clear action to show this behavior is unacceptable to prevent more violence.”

Greenblatt’s use of the phrase about the lid being off the sewer is an apt choice. Many people, particularly American Jews, already knew or at least suspected that there was a sickening amount of antisemitism swirling around in the country below the surface. It erupted often enough as it was in the past, but the war in Gaza has seemingly given free license to people to go public with their hatred.

There’s a bleak sort of irony in that realization. Traditionally, the loudest voices across the political spectrum would have declared that hatred for all minorities, likely including the Jewish people (who comprise barely 2% of the population) would be coming from the conservative right. And I’m not saying that conservatives are 100% immune to this poison. But what we’re seeing this year is bubbling to the surface almost entirely from the political left.

Trust me, those hate-filled rallies you are seeing on college campuses are not being hosted by the school’s Young Conservatives Club. They are the same far-left organizations that block conservative speakers from campus and chase down people like Riley Gaines. They are the ones chanting about the “occupation” of “Palestinian lands” while clearly never having learned anything about the history of the Middle East in the 20th century or even in Biblical times.

Hatred mixed with ignorance creates a toxic stew and it’s fully on display today. Too many in Washington are still engaging in a game of whataboutism and demanding equal time for anti-Islamic concerns while Jewish-American lives are literally at risk. Driving out the leaders of a few Ivy League schools might be a good first step, but it’s hardly enough. There are tools available that we have discussed here before that would send a strong message and possibly produce the “lowering of the temperature” that the ADL is seeking and they are all legal. Deport the student protesters who are here on visas and endorsing terrorism. Throw the pro-Palestinian groups off of campus. Business leaders and wealthy donors can continue to let those students know that we have their names and that their resumes will go in the circular file when they apply for jobs after graduation. Wealthy donors can find other places to deliver their largesse than Harvard and the rest of the Ivy League institutions. That’s the only thing that will make them listen. It can be done, but it will require a lasting, concerted effort.