(New York Jewish Week) — Antisemitic crimes in New York City declined in February, as a surge in anti-Jewish hate incidents following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel appears to have tapered down.
There were 17 antisemitic incidents in the five boroughs reported to police last month, down significantly from the 69 reported in October and 62 in November, as well as the 31 attacks in both December and January.
The rate of antisemitic incidents is still up compared to last year, and Jews remain the most targeted minority group in New York, as they are nearly every month. February’s figure marked an increase of four incidents over the same month last year, when there were 13.
Jews were targeted more than all other groups combined last month, representing 60% of all hate crime victims. There were 28 total hate incidents reported to police, with three anti-Black incidents, one against Asians, one based on gender, one against Muslims, one motivated by sexual orientation, and four against other ethnicities.
Since the start of October, there have been 210 antisemitic incidents reported to police, double the 105 anti-Jewish crimes during the same period last year.
There were 325 total anti-Jewish hate crimes reported to police in 2023, far more than those committed against any other group, according to a compilation of monthly police data. The figure amounted to nearly one antisemitic incident per day. Jewish community groups said many antisemitic incidents likely do not get reported to police.
Not every reported hate crime results in an arrest, and numbers can be revised following the initial tally.
Several incidents that occurred in the weeks after Oct. 7 are being pursued by prosecutors, including one in which a suspect allegedly punched a Jewish Israeli near Times Square while shouting antisemitic epithets, and another involving a 19-year-old who was charged with attacking an Israeli student with a stick on the Columbia University campus. Such crimes can take years to prosecute. Other recent incidents have included threats against synagogues and graffiti on elected officials’ offices and art galleries.
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