Diaspora Jews are at heightened risk of physical threats to synagogues and worshipers, the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry reported Thursday.
The report was released ahead of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9-10.
The warning applies even in places where the number of threats and remote harassment has declined, the report said.
The threats were no longer directed solely at synagogue buildings and increasingly target the daily practice of Jewish life: traveling to prayer services, gathering as a community, and the ability to do both safely, it said.
Arson and fire bombs were among the most prominent methods used to target synagogues, the report said. These incidents demonstrate the danger posed to buildings and Torah scrolls, as well as the risks to worshipers inside. Other methods include gunfire directed at synagogues and attempts to use vehicles to breach security perimeters.
Scale versus severity
One of the report’s central findings is the disparity between the scale of threats and their severity.
For example, in the United States, the number of bomb threats against synagogues fell from 1,009 in 2023 to 59 in 2025. At the same time, however, there was an increase in the lethality of antisemitic attacks, including the use of firearms and incendiary devices against Jewish institutions and worshipers, the report said.
Although the overall number of antisemitic incidents in the US fell by 33% in 2025 to 6,274, there were 32 attacks involving lethal weapons, compared with 23 in 2024. The threat assessments must account for potential loss of life and not just the number of incidents, the report said.
In Britain, a record 227 synagogue-related incidents were recorded in 2025. Of these, 50 targeted worshipers traveling to or from services.
Hired criminals, hidden sponsors
The report also identified repeated attacks against the same institutions, such as Toronto’s Shaarei Torah community, which was targeted 10 times during the period covered by the report in incidents involving vandalism and arson.
Alongside lone-wolf attackers motivated by ideology, the report identified suspected involvement by terrorist networks and state actors, including Iran, through the recruitment of local criminal elements.
Investigations and assessments into incidents in Montreal, Toronto, and Sydney have examined a pattern in which local criminals are allegedly paid to carry out attacks and arson, allowing those commissioning the operations to conceal their involvement, the report said.
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry Director-General Avi Cohen-Skali said: “The report’s findings point to an unacceptable reality. This is not merely a statistic, but a serious warning sign for every sovereign state.”
He called on governments and law-enforcement authorities around the world to strengthen protection for Jewish institutions, work to prevent antisemitic incidents, and bring those responsible to justice.
“The Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry will continue working to identify threats, issue warnings, and bring information to the attention of the relevant authorities out of a commitment to the security and resilience of Jewish communities around the world,” Cohen-Skali said.