Lankford, Rosen Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism Issues Joint Statement on 2024 FBI Hate Crime Statistics Report

OKLAHOMA CITY,  OK — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, released the following statement in response to the release of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2024 Hate Crime Statistics Report:

“The FBI’s latest hate crime report paints a troubling picture. Jewish Americans continue to be targeted simply because of their faith and heritage in schools, synagogues, and in their own neighborhoods,” said Lankford. “This disturbing trend demands urgent attention. I remain committed to confronting antisemitism and strengthening reporting to fully understand the scope of this threat. By working together, Congress, the Administration, and law enforcement can help ensure that every Jewish American can live without fear.”

“All Americans should be deeply troubled by the sharp increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes detailed in this report,” said Senator Rosen. “As one of the co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, I remain steadfast in our commitment to work across party lines to root out the scourge of antisemitism. We’ll continue pushing to ensure the federal government keeps Jewish Americans safe from discrimination, violence, and hate.”

The FBI reported 11,679 hate crime incidents in the United States in 2024. Of those, 3,096 were single-bias offenses motivated by religious bias, nearly 70 percent of which were anti-Jewish. Of the 3,235 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, 69.1 percent were targeted because of the offender’s anti-Jewish bias.

There were 2,237 Jewish victims of hate crimes, the highest number ever recorded by the FBI since it began collecting data in 1991.

Jews represent approximately two percent of the US population, yet antisemitic hate crimes accounted for 16 percent of all hate crimes reported by the FBI. According to the FBI, 16,419 law enforcement agencies participated in the hate crime data collection program in 2024.

You can read the full report HERE, and more in Jewish Insider HERE.

Background

Senators Lankford and Rosen continue to advocate for the passage of the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act and for robust funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act would make permanent the Department of Education’s usage of the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, which is a vital tool helping to clarify and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism. Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA definition when investigating violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack.

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