Bias incidents targeting Jewish, Arab and Muslim residents in New Jersey surged 135% month over month since the October 7th Hamas massacre in Israel, according to FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy.
Since the beginning of the war, there were 187 reported bias incidents against Jews across the state, while 55 reported incidents were targeted at Muslim or Arab people during that same timeframe.
According to the New Jersey State Police, which collects bias reports from all police departments in the state, there were 44 reported incidents in Lakewood through October. November’s data is not yet available.
“We will continue to do all we can to hold anyone who commits these crimes accountable,” Dennehy said, adding that his department “needs everyone to continue reporting these crimes.”
“I don’t want to sound all doom ad gloom, but there is a sense of urgency in my office and in the FBI across the country,” he continued.
According to the Attorney General’s office, a bias incident or hate crime is defined as “any suspected or confirmed offense or unlawful act which occurs against a person or property (public or private) on the basis of New Jersey’s nine protected classes,” including race, color and religion.
Dennehy was speaking at a remembrance event marking four tears since the Jersey City terror attack.
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy and Senator Cory Booker also spoke at the event.
New Study Finds Massacres Of Jews, and Attacks Against Jews, Creates More Antisemitism
A new study conducted by The Institute of Jew Hatred found that antisemitism tends to rise precipitously after Jews have been massacred or attacked.
“People tend to develop an increased hatred for the Jewish people after Jews have been attacked or massacred,” said Professor Leon Masshate, the study’s lead author. “There’s something about Jews getting slaughtered that makes people – primarily progressives and College students – hate them even more.”
“This is why it is so important for the IDF to soundly defeat Hamas,” Professor Masshate said, “because if Hamas survives this war, and, G-D forbid, the terrorist organization commits additional atrocities against the Jews, the Jewish people will become even more despised by progressives.”
Professor Masshate reiterated his contention by asserting that, “When the massacres of Jews subsides and attacks against Jews decreases, we will see a slow but steady decline in antisemitism.”
“The Jews need to stop getting slaughtered and victimized,” he concluded, “otherwise they’ll continue to be hated and despised.”