The bond between American and Israeli Jews has deepened, forged by shared challenges since the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and the rising tide of hatred that targeted not only Israel but Jews worldwide. Campaigns promoting Jewish pride and resilience have inspired increased solidarity.
The Jewish community enters 2025 with a starkly different Middle East landscape mix of cautious optimism and trepidation, which is a feature of Jewish history. Positive results and ongoing challenges shape the Jewish narrative as the new year begins.
While Jewish students still face anti-Jewish incidents and anti-Zionist hostility at universities, visible campus disruptions have sharply declined, about 50% from the spring to fall semesters. Administrators are enforcing new rules created in the aftermath of intimidating and sometimes violent protests targeting Jewish students and their allies.
“I appreciate the response of administrators to ensure that there is as little antisemitic (anti-Jewish) action and rhetoric as possible,” said Naomi Lamb, CEO of Ohio State University Hillel. The University of Michigan student government overwhelmingly voted to impeach its student body president and vice president on multiple charges, including incitement to violence.
Despite loud voices of protest, the American Jewish community and Israel continue to receive bipartisan support for major initiatives. Congress restored funding cuts to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help safeguard Jewish communities, renewed calls to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act in the new session and appealed to airlines to restore flights to Israel. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) cited union opposition to the flights that “were motivated solely by pro-Hamas activists” and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) described the airlines’ position essentially as a “boycott.”
Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden notified Congress that his administration was preparing an $8 billion arms package for Israel. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is expected to expand its successful Abraham Accords initiative for regional peace and take action against universities failing to protect Jewish students.
Growing concerns: Radicalization in America
Chants to “Globalize the Intifada,” sermons inciting hatred and the proliferation of online radicalization show how rapidly hate can mutate from words into violence. Anti-Israel protesters in New York City on New Year’s Day chanted, “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution!” Islamist terror incidents targeting Americans rose in 2024.
The deadly terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day happened two weeks after FBI agents arrested an Egyptian citizen and George Mason University student for plotting to attack Jews at the Israeli consulate in New York City. Both pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), which praised the truck-ramming attack and called for more violence against Western nations. There were seven other incidents on behalf of ISIS in 2024, including plans to attack Idaho churches, a mass shooting against a New York City Jewish center and a bombing of a Pride parade in Phoenix.
Radicalization within certain mosques in America is a growing concern. An imam at a Houston mosque attended by the New Orleans attacker led a sermon in August that described Jews being turned by Allah into “monkeys, pigs and rats,” described Jews as “wreaking havoc across the Earth” and called for Muslims to “defeat the Zionists.” The mosque’s imam praised Hitler in a 2023 sermon.
Online platforms and extremist networks continue to amplify dangerous ideologies. Conspiracy theorists are blaming Jews, Zionists and Americans for the New Orleans attack. On Jan. 2, a former American soldier was indicted for “planning to join Hezbollah and kill Jews.” The Pennsylvania man reportedly researched the location of the prison holding the white supremacist who killed 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in the fall of 2018. The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism reported an alarming surge in online antisemitism posts, from 171 million in 2022 to 1.1 billion in 2024.
Anti-Jewish hatred in America continues to infiltrate schools, health-care settings and public spaces. Two Jewish students attended the “Museum of Terror” hosted by a Columbia University student group. A legal team taught students how to avoid campus surveillance cameras; students praised the late Hamas terrorist mastermind Yahya Sinwar; and a leading anti-Israel agitator called for a “Zionist-free NYC.”
Jewish students also report that anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist hostility has become normalized on campus. Many have been forced to accept this reality to avoid shunning, discrimination and violence. Jewish students have changed the way they interact with others, where they study or socialize, and what they wear to avoid hostility. Some even avoid Jewish organizations like Hillel and Chabad, normally a healthy and positive outlet when living away from home.
A new ADL survey titled Antisemitism in Schools and Support for Holocaust Education revealed that the children of 71% of Jewish parents and 37% of non-Jewish parents encountered antisemitism in the classroom. About 40% of Jewish medical professionals reported experiencing anti-Jewish hatred and 26% felt unsafe or threatened because of antisemitic incidents.
Positive trends: Israel deals blow to Iranian head of snake
The Iranian axis of terror—Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis—have taken hard hits and have suffered severe damage to their infrastructure and capacity to launch attacks. The ousting of Syria’s dictator, Bashar Assad—a longtime ally of Iran—can help lead to a peaceful change in a hostile region. The Israeli military took active steps to destroy the Syrian military’s capabilities. These successes weakened Iran and highlighted Israel’s ability to improve its security against overwhelming odds.
Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists are holding 96 Israelis in captivity. The families of each hostage have had to live in a personal hell for more than a year without knowing whether or not their loved ones are alive and in what condition.
The terror regime recently released a propaganda video of 19-year-old Liri Albag. Her parents described her condition: “This is not the Liri we know.”
Israelis are determined to bring all the captives home either through military operations or even trading hundreds of terrorists, some convicted of heinous crimes. News of a possible release of 34 hostages, alive and deceased, shines another beacon of hope.
Growing concerns: Iranian nuclear threat remains
Despite Israel’s significant military achievements in 2024, Iran remains intent on destroying the world’s only Jewish state. The Islamic Republic is on the threshold of developing nuclear weapons and is threatening to accelerate its program that would serve as an umbrella of protection for its terrorist proxies.
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen continued launching missiles into Israel during Hanukkah, forcing Israelis into bomb shelters during the Jewish holiday, usually in the middle of the night. The attacks by the group whose slogan is “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A curse upon the Jews, Victory to Islam,” received little press coverage in the United States, leaving Americans unaware of the ongoing violence.
Recently, Hamas terrorists began launching rockets again from Gaza while the group continues to support the destruction of the Palestinian citizens it governs, proving that Hamas has not been defeated. One rocket hit an Israeli rabbi’s home for the third time. Palestinian terrorists killed three Israelis and wounded eight more in a West Bank shooting attack on a bus and cars.
Israel foiled 1,040 major terror attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem in 2024. A new Hamas militant leader called on supporters to “go and besiege Israeli and American embassies.”
The mistreatment of hostages by Hamas remains a stain on humanity, with survivors recounting harrowing abuse and exploitation. Israel’s Ministry of Health submitted a report to the United Nations: Mental and Physical State of Hostages Released from Hamas Captivity. It revealed new details about how terrorists have burned, beaten and starved Israeli hostages, and that teens were forced to perform sexual acts on each other.
Points to consider:
- Standing up works: Activism and unity drive real change.
In 2024, supporters of Jews and Israel unified to fight hate and defend Jewish life and homeland. From universities addressing anti-Israel encampments to legislative victories, standing together has driven meaningful change. Jewish organizations, students and allies held individuals accountable for hate speech, while bipartisan support reinforced Israel’s right to defend itself. Beyond campuses, community advocacy exposed radicalization and rallied support for Jewish safety. While challenges remain, these early successes demonstrate that the tide can turn, highlighting the importance of continued vigilance and support for Jewish communities.
- Israel achieved historic victories in 2024.
Despite facing relentless threats, Israel achieved some remarkable successes last year. The significant destruction of Iranian proxy groups—Hamas terrorist fighters in Gaza, Hezbollah’s military capabilities in southern Lebanon and Syria’s military infrastructure—marked significant milestones in securing Israel’s borders. The Israeli military also successfully rescued a number of hostages from Hamas captivity. These achievements reflect Israel’s military strength, resilience, and ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. As 2025 begins, these historic milestones remind us of the importance of steadfast support for Israel.
- Terror attack in New Orleans highlights the dangers of incitement and radicalization.
The New Orleans tragedy proves how radical rhetoric and online extremism can incite individuals to carry out terrorist atrocities. This assault highlights the dangers of unchecked extremist ideology spreading through social media, certain mosques and public protests. It also serves as a grim reminder of the threat posed by Iran, ISIS and other terrorist groups that hate Western nations, especially America and Israel. Confronting escalating domestic and international terrorism requires robust counter-radicalization measures and a unified stand against all forms of extremism to protect the freedoms and safety of Americans and their allies.
- Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain a threat to America and Israel.
Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons poses an existential threat to the Jewish state and a growing danger to America and its allies. Tehran’s efforts to enrich uranium and expand its missile programs signal its determination to achieve nuclear capabilities, despite international pressure and sanctions. This threat is compounded by Iran’s use of terrorist groups to destabilize the region. Countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions requires a coordinated international strategy, including diplomatic pressure, sanctions enforcement and military preparedness. Failure to act decisively risks emboldening one of the world’s most dangerous regimes.