Statistics show California antisemitic hate crimes highest in a decade

A report has shown that antisemitic hate crimes in California have reached their highest level in a decade.

According to data compiled by the Office of the California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, there were 152 antisemitic incidents in 2021, marking an increase of 32.2 percent on the year before.

Incidents included the words “death to Israel” graffitied outside a Chabad preschool, and graffiti on a Jewish-owned cafe in St Francisco’s Mission District that said “Zionist pigz” and “Racist pigz”. 

Mr Bonta said: “Today’s report undeniably shows that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat. In fact, reported hate crime has reached a level we haven’t seen in California since the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.