Violent antisemitic attacks in 2025 resulted in the highest number of Jewish fatalities in three decades, according to a report by Tel Aviv University.
The study documented 20 deaths across four major attacks during the year, including a deadly Hanukkah incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which claimed 15 lives.
The report noted that while total incident figures in some Western countries showed slight declines, overall levels of antisemitism remain significantly higher than in 2022, particularly in terms of violent attacks.
In the United Kingdom, recorded incidents rose from 3,556 in 2024 to 3,700 in 2025, including a fatal car-ramming and stabbing attack during a major religious observance.
The United States also witnessed targeted violence, including a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., which left two Israeli embassy staff members dead.
Researchers warned that antisemitism is becoming increasingly normalized in societies with large Jewish populations, noting that even where incident numbers declined slightly—such as in France and Germany—levels of physical violence remained significantly elevated.
The report also criticised the politicisation of antisemitism, cautioning that broadening the definition to include general policy criticism risks diluting its meaning and undermining efforts to combat it effectively.
Additionally, the study raised concerns about the growing presence of antisemitic rhetoric in political discourse, particularly in the United States.
Historian Christopher Browning, cited in the report, warned that the combination of conspiracy theories, racism, and authoritarianism has historically contributed to the rise of antisemitism.
“Historically, when you mix conspiracy theory, racism, and authoritarianism, you almost always get to antisemitism,” he said.