Logo for the AMCHA Initiative (Credit CNN) Earlier this month, the AMCHA Initiative released its “Report on Campus Anti-Semitism” for the year of 2017. The report contains data and analysis, all of which noted a dramatic upswing in anti-Semitism on U.S. college campuses. The AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America. The report itself contains incidents taken “from submitted incident reports, campus police logs, media accounts, social media postings and on-line recordings, which have occurred on U.S. college or university campuses and been identified by AMCHA personnel as having antisemitic content.” The AMCHA initiative defines the parameters it uses when gauging anti-Semitic content as “behaviors that are, in whole or part, directed at or disproportionately affect Jewish members of the campus community and cause them some degree of measurable harm (e.g. assault, harassment, destruction of property).” In keeping with this definition, the report covers eight key groups of incidents that fall strictly within the stated definition: physical assault, discrimination, destruction of property, genocidal expression, suppression of speech, intimidation, bullying, and denigration. The major distinction which the report strives to highlight, which is an essential element of its conclusions, is the rise in classic anti-Semitism. Classic anti-Semitism, as defined by the AMCHA Initiative report, is “demonstrated anti-Jewish animus on the part of the perpetrators, either through their use of language or imagery containing anti-Jewish messages, or through actions targeting identifiably Jewish individuals (e.g. a student wearing a kippah) or objects (e.g. vandalizing the mezuzah on a Jewish student’s doorpost).” The report distinguishes between this form of anti-Semitism, and “Israel-related incidents.” The report does, however, take into account that “[i]ncidents could be identified as having both classic anti-Semitic and anti-Israel aspects…[s]uch incidents would be counted as both classic anti-Semitic and Israel-related [for the purpose of this report].” The findings of the AMCHA report are startlingly clear: anti-Semitism is on the rise on college campuses. The findings of the report indicate an alarming surge in classic anti-Semitic activity, as well as the worsening of anti-Israel behavior on campuses. The first major result of the study is the finding that classic anti-Semitic incidents outnumbered Israel-related incidents 3 to 1 on college campuses but showed far less intention to harm Jewish students and staff. This is in sharp contrast to the findings concerning anti-Israel movements on campuses, where “76% of Israel-related incidents involved behavior that personally targeted pro-Israel individuals or groups.” This distinction is highlighted primarily in the tactics used to conduct these two forms of anti-Semitic campaigns, with classic anti-Semitism usually related to racist flyers, demonstrations, and graffiti. Anti-Israel actions on campus, particularly those related to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS), frequently involved direct attacks on individuals or groups via social media, unruly student demonstrations, or postings on official student web resources. Perhaps the most startling trend detailed in the report is the conclusion that while the number of Israel-related incidents involving behavior intended to suppress pro-Israel expression has remained relatively constant from 2015 to 2018, “during the same period there was a clear increase of incidents involving the specific targeting of pro-Israel individuals or groups.” The majority of this targeting comes in the form of ostracization and excluding, such as with the recent incident at NYUs campus where 53 student organizations agreed to boycott pro-Israel and Jewish organizations on campus. The number of incidents involving the specific targeting of pro-Israel individuals and groups has risen steady from 25 incidents in 2015 to 54 incidents in 2017. As of the first half of 2018, the number sits at 42 incidents, an increase from the 33 incidents at this point in 2017. The report concludes by stating that “university administrators have generally been far less likely to adequately address these Israel-related incidents than they have acts of classic anti-Semitism.” The report demands action be taken regarding these issues, reminding the administrations at these campuses that “harassment is harassment. The effect of intolerant and exclusionary harassing behavior on students is the same, regardless of the motivation of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim.” The report does not simply expound on the lack of action, but also provides a simple list of steps which could be taken to further address this issue: Issue a public statement assuring all students that they will be equally protected from intolerant behavior that violates their freedom of expression or their right to full participation in campus life. Amend university policies to include the prohibition of peer-on-peer harassment that suppresses any student’s freedom of speech, association or assembly, or unduly interferes with any student’s access to educational opportunities or benefits. Institute procedures for enforcing the amended policies equitably, without regard to the motivation of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim Develop educational programs to teach about the importance of freedom of expression to university life and to encourage the 0065pression of a wide range of views in a productive and respectful manner. The full text of the AMCHA Initiative report on Campus Anti-Semitism in 2017 can be found here.