(NewsNation) — Israeli and Palestinian communities are facing targeted hatred, resulting in incidents of violence linked to anti-Palestinian sentiments. However, experts point to Jewish communities worldwide as the primary target of hateful messages and threats of violence.
Resentment and acts of antisemitism are on the rise, particularly as Israel’s conflict in Gaza shifts from primarily air assaults to a ground offensive.
Jewish communities worldwide are concerned about potential retaliation, as some beleive that Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza are causing harm to people with no ties to the terror group.
In the United States, Jewish schools and synagogues have increased their security measures — even in places with small Jewish populations like Salt Lake City, precautions are being taken.
“We have to be on high alert right now. You never know what sorts of copycat things are going to happen,” said Avram Titus, a Salt Lake City resident.
Rabbi Averemi Zippel, of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, said he was advised to lock the synagogue’s doors during service.
“Which is disheartening; we’re not in the Middle East, we’re 6,000 miles away,” he said.
In Fresno, California, police launched a hate crime investigation Tuesday after a man stoned a synagogue, NewsNation affiliate KSEE-TV reports.
Racial and religious extremism surged after the Hamas attacks.
Online, specifically on social media platforms, Jewish people have faced the most hate.
USA Today recently noted, “Civil rights organizations are now calling on tech companies to get much better at enforcing their terms of service and quelling hateful content. “
Muslim communities also catch the ire of some. In Plainfield Township, Illinois, 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba was charged with murder and hate crimes following a stabbing on Saturday.
A 6-year-old boy was fatally stabbed and his mother was critically wounded in the attack. Police said they were targeted due to their Muslim identity driven by the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.
In New York City, the NYPD said at least three incidents involving people who were physically attacked due to their Jewish or Muslim identity — among the attacks was a Jewish student at Columbia University.