Biden’s Antisemitism-Islamophobia Equivalence Stirs Debate Amid 2024 Surge in Jewish Attacks

In 2024, as antisemitic incidents surged across the U.S., former President Joe Biden consistently paired condemnation of antisemitism with warnings against Islamophobia, a rhetorical balancing act that drew sharp criticism. The Anti-Defamation League reported a staggering 9,354 antisemitic incidents last year, a 5% rise from 2023 and a 926% increase since 1979, fueled by tensions following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing Gaza conflict.

Biden, addressing the nation days after the war began, said, "We must denounce antisemitism and Islamophobia without equivocation." This refrain echoed in speeches, like at a Human Rights Campaign event, where he linked antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and transphobia as interconnected forms of hate. Yet, as Jewish students faced harassment on campuses like Columbia, UCLA, and Harvard—where protests escalated into building takeovers and divestment demands—critics argued Biden’s equivalence diluted the focus on antisemitism’s alarming rise.

Campuses became flashpoints, with Jewish students reporting feeling unsafe amid menacing graffiti and protests invoking "intifada." At Columbia, some were advised to leave for their safety. Biden’s May 2024 remarks again coupled antisemitism with Islamophobia, stating, "There’s no place for hate speech or violence of any kind." Conservatives, including radio host Erick Erickson, slammed this as "both-sideism," noting no campuses were locked down over Islamophobia.

Recent tragedies underscored the urgency: a Jewish couple was killed outside a Washington, D.C., Jewish museum, and in Boulder, Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly attacked a pro-Israel gathering with Molotov cocktails, expressing intent to "kill all Zionist people." Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Jewish Governor Josh Shapiro faced an antisemitic arson attack at his residence during Passover.

The Trump administration, responding to the crisis, issued an executive order in January 2025 to combat antisemitism, threatening to cut federal funding to universities tolerating violent anti-Israel protests and investigating the immigration status of protest leaders. As the nation grapples with this wave of hate, the debate over how to address it without diluting its distinct forms remains heated.