2024's Top Ten Worst Anti-Semitic Incidents: SWC Report on Rising Hate
From state-sponsored terror to social media influence, the battle against rising global anti-Semitism intensifies.
Anti-Semitism has surged to alarming levels worldwide in 2024, with the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Top Ten Worst Global Anti-Semitic Incidents shedding light on the pervasive and increasingly dangerous nature of this hatred. From state-sponsored terrorism and legal battles to attacks on Jewish houses of worship and athletes, the global landscape for Jews is growing more hostile. These incidents reflect a disturbing normalization of antisemitism in political discourse, social media, and institutional settings, posing a serious threat to both Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.
1. Iran’s Proxy War: Anti-Semitism on the Frontlines
In 2024, Iran escalated its war against Israel, not only through direct military action but also by fostering anti-Semitic violence globally. While Israel successfully thwarted missile and drone attacks with the help of regional allies, Iran’s influence remains a persistent threat. Tehran continues to use its proxies, including terror cells in Europe and missile operations in Yemen, to target Jews and spread hatred. Beyond the battlefield, Iran's rhetoric emboldens anti-Semitic protests and online hate, fueling a dangerous global environment for Jews and the Jewish state. The threat extends even further, as Iran's nuclear ambitions loom over Israel's existence.
2. UNRWA’s Ties to Terror: A Global Scandal Uncovered
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees, has long been criticized for its pro-Hamas stance. In 2024, following the horrific October 7 Hamas attacks, evidence of UNRWA’s deep connections to terror groups was uncovered. Thousands of its employees were found to have ties to Hamas, with at least 2,440 of 13,000 staff members actively involved in terrorism. Despite the agency's claims to promote peace, its facilities were discovered to house terror tunnels, exposing its complicity in perpetuating violence. In response, Sweden and the Netherlands have halted their funding, and the U.S. is expected to follow suit.
3. Synagogue Attacks: A Global Surge in Violence
Synagogues around the world faced a rising wave of attacks in 2024, including violent incidents in Tunisia, Germany, Russia, Australia, and the United States. Many of these assaults, potentially linked to terror groups, prompted the Simon Wiesenthal Center to issue travel advisories for Jewish communities. The violence wasn’t limited to physical attacks; threats against Jewish houses of worship became a common feature in the global anti-Semitic landscape. As the Jewish community faces an uptick in hate, authorities in many countries are urged to take stronger action to protect synagogues and Jewish citizens.
4. International Courts: A Weapon Against Israel
International legal institutions, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), have been weaponized to accuse Israel of crimes against humanity. In 2024, these courts became platforms for political attacks against the Jewish state, as Israel’s right to defend itself was framed as genocide. Arrest warrants were issued for Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the ICJ accepted a case from South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. These legal proceedings represent not just a challenge to Israel’s self-defense but an alarming trend of delegitimizing the Jewish state through biased international processes.
5. Influencers Spread Hate: The Far-Left and Far-Right Unite
2024 saw both far-left and far-right influencers using their massive social media followings to spread anti-Israel rhetoric and antisemitic narratives. Greta Thunberg, the climate activist, called for Israel to be expelled from global forums like the Eurovision Song Contest, linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with environmental issues. On the other side of the political spectrum, Candace Owens downplayed the Holocaust, calling education about Nazi atrocities “propaganda.” These influential figures, with millions of followers across platforms like X, TikTok, and Telegram, help normalize hatred and promote dangerous anti-Jewish stereotypes, reaching global audiences without significant pushback from tech platforms.
6. Elite Universities: Antisemitism Thrives on Campus
Elite universities in the U.S., Europe, and beyond have become hotbeds of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment. In 2024, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce found that many institutions failed to protect Jewish students from rising harassment. At campuses like UCLA and across Europe, pro-Hamas rhetoric and anti-Zionist movements have grown, leading to the vilification of Israel and increased risks for Jewish students. Several European universities even voted to boycott Israeli institutions and divest from companies linked to Israel, contributing to the wider climate of academic antisemitism that continues to spread unchecked.
7. Francesca Albanese: Blaming Israel for Hamas’ Atrocities
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel, consistently blaming the Jewish state for the atrocities committed by Hamas. In 2024, she intensified her anti-Israel rhetoric, comparing Israel’s military actions in Gaza to the Nazi Holocaust. Her inflammatory statements have been widely condemned, yet she continues to hold a prominent position within the UN, undermining the credibility of the organization. Albanese’s position allows her to spread false narratives that exonerate Hamas and smear Israel, further escalating global antisemitism under the guise of human rights advocacy.
8. NGOs’ Anti-Israel Agenda: Poisoning Public Opinion
In 2024, several prominent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch continued to demonize Israel, issuing misleading reports that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. These reports, filled with factual omissions and distortions, contribute to the global narrative that Israel is an illegitimate state. The Simon Wiesenthal Center highlighted the major inaccuracies in these reports, which often downplay Hamas' actions while accusing Israel of crimes against humanity. This distorted view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is further perpetuated by these NGOs, helping to poison public opinion against the Jewish state.
9. World Leaders Target Israel: Diplomatic Attacks Escalate
2024 saw an alarming increase in anti-Israel rhetoric from world leaders. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan compared Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, while Irish President Michael Higgins supported an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide. Other leaders, such as Colombia's Gustavo Petro, followed suit, aligning with anti-Israel positions that seek to delegitimize the Jewish state. These political figures use their platforms to normalize anti-Israel sentiment on the world stage, further contributing to the growing isolation of Israel in international diplomacy.
10. Athletes Under Attack: Anti-Semitism at the Sports Arena
The 2024 global sports scene became another battleground for antisemitism, with Israeli athletes targeted during competitions. At a UEFA football match in Amsterdam, Israeli fans were viciously attacked by rioters in what was described as a "Jew hunt." In Paris, Israeli athletes at the 2024 Olympics were subjected to Nazi salutes and other forms of anti-Jewish harassment. The Iranian regime’s influence was evident in many of these attacks, as its calls to boycott Israel spread across various sporting events. These incidents, along with the exclusion of Israeli teams from international competitions, demonstrate how the hate directed at Israel has permeated even the world of sports.
Urgent Action Needed to Combat Rising Anti-Semitism
The 2024 Top Ten Worst Global Anti-Semitic Incidents underscores a dangerous and growing trend: antisemitism is no longer confined to fringe groups but is becoming mainstreamed in political discourse, international courts, social media, academia, and even the world of sports. As governments, institutions, and individuals fail to confront this rising tide of hatred, the Jewish community and Israel face unprecedented challenges. It's clear that the battle against antisemitism must be fought on multiple fronts—diplomatically, legally, socially, and culturally—and it requires a unified global effort to push back against the normalization of hate.
The coming year will be crucial in determining whether these incidents are seen as isolated outbursts or part of a dangerous global pattern. The time to act is now, before antisemitism becomes so entrenched that it is no longer a question of if but when it will be fully normalized.