Israeli President Herzog calls antisemitism a ‘contamination of societies’ as hate crimes surge

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“Antisemitism is an age-old plague which should be dealt with by everybody, by all societies.It’s not an Israeli issue or only a Jewish issue,” he said.

“It’s a contamination of societies that starts with the Jews — never ends with them.It’s the most dangerous phenomena that has to be dealt with aggressively, with no mercy, with full adjudication, and most importantly, with education,” he added.

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Growing antisemitism and other issues led President Isaac Herzog to launch Voice of the People in April 2023.

Herzog’s warning comes as newly releasedNew York CityPolice Department (NYPD) data show anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 56.9% of all confirmed hate crimes since the start of 2026, even though Jewish New Yorkers make up only about 10% of the city’s population.

Herzog pointed to New York City MayorZohran Mamdani, whom he accused of spreading hate and compromising the lives of New Yorkers.

“Mamdani does not respect my nation’s right for self-determination — the Jewish people’s inherent right to have a nation of their own.And he’s basically spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric.He should understand that he’s risking his own citizens, he’s risking their safety, well-being and life,�

In a video posted on social media on July 21, Mamdani called Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu“a war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Days later, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar” whilestabbing two menon Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including one who was visibly identifiable as Jewish.

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Aftermath of arson attack on ambulances in London

Members of the Jewish community view the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London, on March 24, 2026.(Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

“We’ve seen the stabbing just a few days ago… just because somebody was dressed as an Orthodox Jew.This cannot be accepted in New York, which is a city that is dear to our heart, dear to Israelis, and dear to me personally,” Herzog said.

More broadly, a report released last month by the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism found that 20 people were killed inantisemitic attacksacross seven countries outsideIsraelin 2025, marking the deadliest year for such violence in the Jewish diaspora since 1994.

The J7 comprises Jewish communities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

People walk through Times Square during an anti-Israel rally on Oct.4, 2025, in New York City.(Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

According to the report, more than 23,000antisemitic incidentswere recorded across theJ7 countrieslast year, representing a 97% increase in violent attacks and a 136% rise in overall incidents compared with 2022.

“Of course, Israel is doing its best, but it has to be an effort with governments all over the world, law enforcement agencies, educational systems and Jewish communities, which we care about a lot,” Herzog said, in reference to confronting Jew-hatred.

Referencing a recent article by professor Niall Ferguson titled “The Death of History,” he said, “How much TikTok or the social networks distort the facts of history?They negate the worst and greatest horror of humankind,the Holocaust.And that’s why we have to stand up together and combat it,�

Herzog stressed that misinformation spread through distorted and superficial channels makes it easy to smear Israel on social media, but that such narratives do not reflect reality.

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Aerial view of Israel’s Mediterranean coastal city Tel Aviv.(Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

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“[Israel] is the place where the Startup Nation flourishes.This is the place where great ideas are given to the world and contribute enormously to the world in so many great fields, from health to energy, to science, to agriculture, to food security, to what not.There’s a reason why Americans who visit our country, young Americans, fall in love with this country,” he said.

Growing antisemitism, coupled with polarization within and between Jewish communities and a weakening sense of Jewish identity in some places, led Herzog to launch Voice of the People in April 2023.The initiative brings together a council of 150 emerging leaders — one-third from Israel, one-third from the United States and the remainder from around the world.

Leaders are selected through an algorithm from thousands of candidates and serve rotating terms of roughly two years, developing ideas to address challenges facing the Jewish world.

The initiative held an in-person kickoff summit in March 2025 in Haifa, featuring Herzog and bringing together all council members, reflecting his belief in building the next generation of Jewish leadership, which he described as one of his main tasks.

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“I’m overjoyed by the great ideas I see and feel, and I hope that around November we will have a new registration starting for the next slot, the next cohort, and I invite as many Jewish friends to register,” he said.

Amelie Botbol is a freelance field reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel, who reports on Israel-related news.