May marked a concerning surge in antisemitic incidents in New York City, with the NYPD reporting a total of 55 cases, the highest recorded since November.

This indicates that the increase in antisemitism seen after October 7 has not subsided.

Comparing to the same period last year, which recorded 22 incidents, May's figure more than doubled. In fact, antisemitic incidents constituted 64% of all reported hate crimes in the city during the month.

Following the October 7 invasion of Israel, there was a noticeable spike in hate incidents against Jews, with 69 reported in October and 62 in November. Since then, the numbers have varied, ranging from 17 in February to 43 in March and 32 in April. Jews consistently remain the most targeted group in hate crimes almost every month.

Security officials in the Jewish community have suggested that the pattern of anti-Israel protests in the city could be influencing these fluctuations. According to data from the mayor's office, there have been over 1,000 protests related to Israel in the city since October 7. Last month witnessed heated protests surrounding college graduations and Israel’s military actions in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The total reported hate crimes for May stood at 86, which included incidents targeting Asians, Black individuals, Muslims, individuals based on gender, sexual orientation, as well as those targeting white people. Several incidents were also reported against unspecified ethnic groups and other religions.

It's important to note that these figures are based on preliminary police data and are subject to change pending further investigation. Not every reported hate crime leads to an arrest or prosecution, and the legal threshold for proving bias is high, making prosecution challenging.

In a notable incident last month, a man faced multiple hate crime charges after intentionally driving his car towards Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn. Additionally, several incidents that occurred in the aftermath of October 7 are still being pursued by prosecutors, including an incident where a suspect allegedly assaulted a Jewish Israeli near Times Square while shouting antisemitic slurs. Another incident involves a 19-year-old charged with attacking an Israeli student with a stick on the Columbia University campus. These cases often take years to prosecute. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.