A recent poll conducted by US News & World Report has shed light on the concerning trend of anti-Semitism on college campuses across the country.
According to the poll, approximately two-thirds of students at the top-ranking universities in the country believe that anti-Semitism is a problem on campus. Specifically, 67% of students at the top 25 universities ranked by US News & World Report expressed concerns about anti-Semitism, with 14% describing it as a “huge problem” and 53% characterizing it as a “small problem.”
Moreover, the survey found that more than one-third of students feel less safe due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations occurring on their campuses.
Pamela Nadell, director of Jewish studies at American University, told US News & World Report that college campuses “have never been immune” to prejudices such as anti-Semitism.
“The outbursts that we’ve had since Oct. 7 have a long, long history,” she began.
“Every time events erupt in Israel, they trickle out into the US,” she explained. “We’ll see a slow build and then have an explosion. The difference in this moment is the breadth of the explosion.”
“In this case, the explosion is ostensibly against the war, but it so often morphs into tropes that are deeply anti-Semitic. And I think what is not surprising but what is so deeply disturbing is that opposition to the war has morphed into repetition of classic anti-Semitic tropes, and it targets not Israel and not Israeli policies, but it targets Jewish students.”
The survey’s findings come amidst a backdrop of escalating controversy on college campuses, with anti-Israel protests becoming more commonplace. These protests, which include actions such as Gaza encampments and building occupations, have led to instances of violence, particularly against Jewish students. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that a staggering 73% of Jewish college students experienced or witnessed anti-Semitism in some form during the 2023-24 school year.
