Jews Targeted in Majority of New York City Hate Crimes in 2023, New Data Shows

Reported hate crimes in New York state spiked by a staggering 69 percent since 2019, largely fueled by sharp increases in antisemitic incidents, according to a new analysis released by New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on Wednesday.

The report from the Office of State Comptroller found that hate crimes against Jews increased across New York by 89 percent — from 253 incidents in 2018 to 477 outrages in 2023.

“In 2023, nearly 44 percent of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88 percent of religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims, the largest share of all such crimes,” the report stated.

As for New York City specifically, antisemitic incidents accounted for a striking 65 percent of all felony hate crime incidents last year.

One such outrage that made headlines this week was a man in New York City allegedly spitting in a 65-year-old Jewish man’s face late last month after proclaiming “Hitler was right” in what is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime.

On Tuesday, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released a video of the alleged perpetrator of the crime, who has still not been found or arrested.

The NYPD said its Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.

The perpetrator also allegedly said “Should I slap you or punch you,” prior to pulling down his mask and spitting on the man in broad daylight.

New York defines a hate crime as “an offense that is motivated by a perception or belief about the victim’s race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or another protected characteristic. Hate crimes can be committed against a person or property.”

New York state’s total of 1,089 reported hate crimes last year marked the highest number “since data collection and annual reporting were mandated by New York’s Hates Crimes Act of 2000,” according to a press release accompanying the report.

“Fighting hatred and bigotry demands that we communicate with, respect, and accept our neighbors,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “It requires our spiritual, political, community, and business leaders to take active roles in denouncing hate, investing in prevention and protection efforts, and increasing education that celebrates the value of New York’s diversity.”

The surge in antisemitism in New York was also seen nationwide across the US. Earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation League released a report showing antisemitic incidents in the US rose 140 percent last year, reaching a record high. Most of the outrages occurred after the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 across southern Israel, during the ensuing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In December, the FBI said there had been a 60 percent spike in antisemitic hate crime investigations since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Then, in April, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the probes into antisemitic crimes tripled in the months following Oct. 7.

“Between Oct. 7 and Jan. 30 of this year, we opened over three times more anti-Jewish hate crime investigations than in the four months before Oct. 7,” he explained.

In 2023, the FBI found that 63 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the US were directed against Jews.