In the year 2023, most of the top 10 largest cities in the United States experienced a surge in the rate of hate crimes, with an average increase of at least 11%.

According to Axios, 2023 was the third consecutive year to see a growth in the number of hate crimes committed in major American cities, peaking at a record high of 2,173 cases. The data was compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) at California State University, San Bernardino.

This year’s surge was largely attributed to anti-Semitic sentiment in the aftermath of the October 7th, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel, which saw mobs of Muslim-Americans and young Americans storm the streets in support of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

For example, the city of Houston witnessed 85 different hate crimes in 2023, an increase of 193% from the prior year. Other cities that saw spikes in hate crimes include San Diego at 47%, Chicago at 43%, and Los Angeles at 13% compared to 2022. These all rank among the highest hate crime totals seen since groups such as the CSHE first began collecting data on national hate crimes in the early 1990’s. Additional cities that reported rises in hate crimes include San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Boston, and Salt Lake City.

Following the October 7th attacks, hate crimes against Jews became the dominant category of hate crimes in the country, which the CSHE said may be the first time this has occurred. The city of Chicago saw a 10% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes, while New York City saw a 12.6% increase and Los Angeles suffered a staggering 48% rise.

The full national data on hate crimes, including anti-Semitic hate crimes, will be released by the FBI later this year.