Jews 525% likelier hate-crime targets in first half of 2026 than population share suggests, per FBI data

The majority (55%) of anti-Jewish incidents involved destruction, damage, or vandalism of property, followed by intimidation (31%), simple assault (8%), and aggravated assault and all other larcenies (2% each).

By JNS

Of the 4,384 offenses in 3,750 hate crime incidents from Jan. 1 until this month, Jews have been targets of 15% of incidents, according to FBI data.

The 566 anti-Jewish hate-crime incidents so far this year include 613 offenses—a number that in other circumstances Jews happily note corresponds to the number of commandments in the Torah.

Overall, hate-crime offenses are down 43%, and incidents have decreased 41.5% compared to last year, although the FBI’s 2025 data came from self-reported state statistics covering between 95% and 96% of the U.S. population.

At the beginning of this year, the January data covered about 88% of the country. By April, it was about 75%; by May, 55%; and by June, it had only covered nearly 19.5% of the nation.

Last year, there were 1,062 anti-Jewish offenses in 957 incidents, according to the bureau’s data.

Jews make up about 2.4% of American adults, according to data from the Pew Research Center. That means that so far this year, Jews are 525% likelier hate crime targets than their population share suggests, according to the FBI data.

The 978 religion-based incidents recorded this year made up 25.1% of all incidents. After the 15% of religion-based incidents targeting Jews, the next most likely targets were Sikhs and Muslims (2% each) and Arabs (1%).

The majority (55%) of anti-Jewish incidents involved destruction, damage, or vandalism of property, followed by intimidation (31%), simple assault (8%), and aggravated assault and all other larcenies (2% each).

The largest amount (17%) took place on the highway, a road, alley, street, or sidewalk, followed by an elementary or secondary school (16%), home (15%), and college or university (9%).

A smaller number of anti-Jewish incidents have occurred so far this year at a park or playground or house of worship (6% each) or commercial or office building, parking lot or garage, or government or public building or online (3% each).

And 1% each of incidents have taken place at an air or bus or train terminal; drug store or medical facility; construction site; field or woods; restaurant; grocery or supermarket; shopping mall; specialty store; or abandoned or condemned structure or department or discount store.

New York state had only reported 88 anti-Jewish hate crimes to the FBI so far this year, even though New York City alone recorded 26 anti-Jewish hate crimes last month, and there were 178 confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes in the Big Apple from Jan. 1 to June 30, per New York City Police Department data.

The FBI data suggests that the NYPD reported 74 anti-Jewish hate crimes to the bureau so far this year.

California has reported 158 offenses from 142 anti-Jewish hate crime incidents to the FBI so far this year.

Florida has reported 9; Illinois, 17 (16 incidents); Maryland, 10 (9 incidents); Massachusetts, 5; Michigan, 29 (26 incidents); Minnesota, 6; New Jersey, 102 (92 incidents); Pennsylvania, 22 (18 incidents); Texas, 13; Virginia, 24 (23 incidents); and Washington state, 15 (12 incidents).