Earlier this month, Massachusetts reported a “troubling” 20.5% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in 2024 in the state amid an overall decline in hate crimes. Chicago stated on Friday hate crimes in the city “fell by 25% in 2024, with substantial declines across nearly every category.” One of the categories that didn’t see a decline is anti-Jewish hate crimes, which Chicago said was “of particular alarm” and which “surged” by 58% and accounts for 37.6% of all reported hate crimes in the city.
“This is part of a national increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes but is especially troubling given that Jewish residents represent just 3% of Chicago’s population,” according to the office of Brandon Johnson, the city mayor.
The mayor’s office also said that hate crimes against gay men were up, but the press release didn’t say how much.
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations 2024 report on hate crimes and incidents, which was filed to the mayor on Friday, states that there were 79 anti-Jewish hate crimes in Chicago in 2024, up from 50 the prior year. Of the 79, 8% were assaults, 5% battery and 47% were criminal damage.
In 2024, Jews were the main target of hate crimes in Chicago (79), followed by black people (33 incidents, down from 76 the prior year) and gay people (45, up from 36). There were six anti-Muslim hate crimes, down from 16 the prior year, and five anti-Arab incidents, the same number as the prior year.
The commission listed hate crimes against gay men (21% of all hate crimes) before anti-Jewish ones (37.6%) both within the body of the report and in its section on “findings and recommendations.” It estimated that between 3% and 4% of Chicagoans are gay men and that about 3% of Chicagoans are Jewish.
The Chicago mayor, who broke a Chicago City Council tie and voted for a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza in January 2024, has drawn widespread criticism for anti-Israel statements and actions. The Chicago Jewish Alliance said in April that it was “outrageous” that Johnson was photographed wearing a keffiyeh.
The Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest stated in August 2024 that it was “beyond disappointed” by Johnson’s “ongoing support” for anti-Israel protests.
In October, the Consulate General said that it was “appalling” and “incomprehensible” that the city education board president, whom Johnson appointed, had posted antisemitic content and supported Hamas.
Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, told JNS that Johnson “only legitimizes, mainstreams and promotes antisemitism and Israel-bashing” by having “insensitively” worn a keffiyeh, which “symbolizes hatred of the Jewish state,” alongside a Council on American-Islamic Relations official.
The Chicago mayor’s decision to highlight anti-gay attacks “before the more prevalent and serious antisemitic attacks makes it clear that this mayor is not only not protecting Jews but is motivating hostility and anger and verbal and physical violence against Jews.”
“He is clearly a frightening, heartless menace to the Jewish people,” Klein told JNS.
The Jewish Community Relations Council, an umbrella group for Chicago Jewish organizations, stated that it will hold two public hearings to address the “unnerving trend” in anti-Jewish hate crimes.
