TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A comprehensive study released Monday by Tel Aviv University reveals that 2025 became the most lethal year for anti-Jewish violence in more than 30 years, claiming 20 lives across multiple continents.
Researchers documented fatal incidents spanning three continents, with the most devastating occurring during a December Hanukkah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where 15 people lost their lives. Additional deadly attacks struck Washington D.C. and Colorado in the United States, while Britain witnessed two fatalities during a Yom Kippur service at a Manchester synagogue.
The surge in lethal violence represents a continuation of trends that emerged following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault and the ensuing Gaza conflict, according to the study’s authors.
“The data raise concern that a high level of antisemitic incidents is becoming a normalized reality,” said Uriya Shavit, the chief editor of the widely cited annual report.
The research indicates that 2025 surpassed all previous years for anti-Jewish fatalities since 1994, when a bombing targeting a Jewish community center in Argentina resulted in 85 deaths and over 300 injuries. Iranian involvement through its Hezbollah affiliate has been determined by Argentine courts in that earlier attack.
Beyond fatal incidents, investigators documented rising numbers of physical assaults, including beatings and stone-throwing incidents targeting Jewish individuals and communities.
While overall incident numbers showed modest growth compared to 2024, the totals represent a dramatic escalation from 2022 levels, before the Gaza war commenced. The study encompasses various forms of hostility, from physical violence and property damage to online harassment and verbal intimidation.
“The peak in the number of incidents was recorded in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, after which we began to see a downward trend — but unfortunately, that trend did not continue in 2025,” Shavit said.
Country-specific data shows the United Kingdom recording 3,700 incidents in 2025, up slightly from 3,556 the previous year. Canadian statistics jumped from 6,219 incidents in 2024 to 6,800 in 2025, representing more than triple the 2022 figures.
Even following the Gaza ceasefire implementation last October, hostile incidents continued climbing compared to the same timeframe in the previous year. Australian data shows incidents rising from 492 between October and December 2024 to 588 during the corresponding 2025 period. This contrasts sharply with the 472 total incidents recorded across all of 2022 in Australia, before the Israel-Hamas conflict began.
Carl Yonker, the study’s research director, noted that most physical assaults were perpetrated by individuals acting independently, making prevention efforts particularly challenging. He observed that attackers typically fell into categories of white supremacist extremists or radical Muslims, often sharing characteristics of unemployment and financial hardship.
The annual assessment comes from Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry in partnership with the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights and Justice. The timing coincides with Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins Monday evening to honor the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Data compilation draws from law enforcement reports, government agencies, and Jewish community organizations worldwide.
