By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Antisemitic hate is on the rise across the United States following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, reported acts of antisemitism in the U.S. spiked more than 360% in the months after the Hamas attack. In 2024, one-third of American Jews said they had been personally targeted.
From the streets of Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., to the gates of the Pennsylvania governor’s residence, violent antisemitism is increasing.
“Amid a despicable rise in antisemitism, including the hateful arson at Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania, the shocking violence in Boulder, and the deadly attack on the Israeli embassy staff in D.C., we are starkly reminded that silence is complicity,” said Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Now, two senators from opposite ends of the political spectrum are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, introducing a resolution condemning antisemitic hate in all forms.
“Senator Fetterman and I, you know, have gotten to know each other and work closely together,” said Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). “We have lots of disagreements. But there’s many things we agree on. One of the things that we both have been strong voices on is support for Israel and also support in fighting the war, the battle against anti-Semitism here at home.”
The resolution comes as antisemitic rhetoric spreads from college campuses to city streets, prompting lawmakers like Fetterman and McCormick to speak out. McCormick traveled to the Middle East shortly after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7– “We saw firsthand the horror that had happened then,” he said, recalling his shock upon returning home. “What was shocking to me, this anti-Semitism on our nation’s campuses, throughout our society. And the only way to combat that is for public officials to stand up and stand out and say, this is unacceptable.”
“These appalling attacks on our Jewish communities are not isolated events. After eleven lives were stolen at the Tree of Life massacre in 2018, I’ve felt an even stronger moral obligation to confront antisemitism wherever it appears and stand united against hate,” said Fetterman.
Alongside Fetterman and 34 co-sponsors, McCormick is calling for accountability—and unity. In a time of deep political divide, the bipartisan duo is unified in denouncing hatred.
“We thought it was important both for Pennsylvania, the country, for two guys from different parties to come together on something that’s so important to our country and speak with a united voice,” said McCormick. “We need to hold people accountable. We can’t promote violence. We can’t promote anti-Semitic behavior.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington this week meeting with lawmakers and President Trump.
As U.S. and Israeli officials discuss Iran and Hamas, the death toll continues to rise in Gaza. According to Gaza health officials, Palestinian deaths resulting from the Israel-Hamas war have exceeded 55,000 as of June.
