Washington: The United States has reaffirmed its resolve to tackle anti-Semitism across the globe as Jewish families prepare for Passover from April 22, 2025, with communities from New York to Bangladesh facing growing threats.
Raising concerns about Bangladesh, the US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, while wishing Christians a blessed Holy Week and Jewish people all around the world a happy Passover, told mediapersons here on April 15, 2025, that the United States was monitoring attacks on American brands and anti-Semitic rhetoric there. Her remarks came when a reporter asked during a briefing how concerning the situation in Bangladesh appeared. She emphasised that Bangladesh’s future must be shaped by its people. Addressing concerns about Islamist extremism and anti-Semitism under Bangladesh’s interim government, she stated, “Bangladesh is a country with certain issues; they are also a country we have talked about often.”
A journalist cited a New York Times report on the “alarming rise of Islamist extremism” in Bangladesh, including protesters displaying Nazi symbols and Osama bin Laden’s images, and targeting American brands like KFC, Coca-Cola with antisemitic rhetoric allegedly incited by figures like “advisors of interim government of Bangladesh”.
However, as reporters pressed Bruce on the U.S. response to American companies targeted in Bangladesh alongside anti-Semitic incidents, she avoided specifics, focusing instead on Bangladesh’s self-determination, which some see as a cautious approach amid U.S.-Bangladesh trade ties.
The briefing underscored Washington’s balancing act: addressing extremism without alienating a strategic partner. But a 2025 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report notes Bangladesh’s increasing religious violence, with minorities facing sporadic attacks, aligning with Bruce’s broader concerns. Her remarks highlight Washington’s vigilance over reports of minority targeting, including Jewish communities, amid political instability.
The State Department’s focus reflects diplomatic efforts to monitor Bangladesh’s interim government under Muhammad Yunus, which has faced criticism for failing to curb extremist displays. Bruce noted that the U.S. expects Bangladesh to ensure “safety and security for all,” signalling ongoing scrutiny. Analysts suggest this stance aligns with U.S. policies to counter global anti-Semitism, as seen in the EU’s 2024 anti-Semitism strategy, though Bangladesh-specific measures remain vague.
Anti-Semitism worldwide, though less than the United States numbers, troubles communities. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ July 2024 survey found 80% of respondents feeling that antisemitism had grown in their country in the five years before the survey. 90% of respondents encountered antisemitism online in the year before the survey, while in the year before the survey, 56% of respondents encountered offline antisemitism from people they knew and 51% in the media. 37% said they were harassed because they are Jewish in the year before the survey. Most of them experienced harassment multiple times.
Antisemitic harassment and violence mostly take place in the streets, parks, or shops. Violence since the Gaza war began took one United States life, when Paul Kessler died in Los Angeles on November 6, 2023, after a protest clash, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In Alexandria, an Egyptian police officer killed two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian guide on October 8, 2023, per the Egyptian Ministry of Interior. Tunisia’s El Hamma synagogue burned on October 18, 2023, per the Tunisian Ministry of Interior, leaving no casualties but erasing history.
The World Zionist Organization reported a 340 per cent rise in global incidents from 2022 to 2024, with Canada facing a 562 per cent spike, including violent attacks, per its January 2025 report.
While there are no 2025-specific security figures are available from official sources like the United States Department of Homeland Security or global interior ministries, in the United States, an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) study showed antisemitism on college and university campuses “rapidly” escalated into a national crisis, with at least 1,200 incidents being recorded from October 7, 2023, to September 24, 2024.
The ADL noted that there is a strong and consistent correlation between antisemitic and hostile anti-Israel attitudes and student minimisation of campus antisemitism.
Travel advisories reflect ongoing risks. The United States Department of State, on March 22, 2025, reported red alert sirens, barring United States government personnel from areas near Gaza and northern Israel, according to the United States Embassy in Jerusalem. On November 22, 2024, it advised citizens to reconsider travel to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, citing terrorism affecting United States citizens, per embassy records. Israel’s National Security Council, on April 1, 2025, alerted citizens abroad about Hamas and Iran-backed threats during Passover, urging caution in Europe, Africa, and Asia, per its statement. A December 2023 advisory suggested avoiding South Africa and Uzbekistan and concealing Jewish identity in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, per the council.
It may be pointed out that the United States Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report has flagged anti-Semitism in 20 countries.
The United States has reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment” to fighting the global rise of anti-Semitism, pledging robust support for Jewish communities worldwide. Addressing the escalating issue during the April 15, 2025, press briefing, Bruce declared, “As antisemitism surges around the world, our message to Jewish communities remains unchanged: The United States stands with you. We will fight antisemitism with unwavering determination. We will advocate for the safety and security of Jews everywhere.”
While not directly addressing anti-Semitism in isolation in the context of Bangladesh, Bruce underscored the US stance on minority protection, building on her March 20, 2025, statement: “We condemn any instances of violence or intolerance directed toward members of minority communities in any country.” Her remarks, delivered during Passover, underscore Washington’s “resolve” to counter hate amid reports of increasing anti-Semitic incidents.
– global bihari bureau
