The FBI is investigating a “horrific antisemitic attack” that happened in Clayton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. 

The target of the attack was an American citizen who served with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In the early hours of August 5, Clayton Police Department officers responded to a call where three cars were deliberately torched outside an unidentified American citizen’s home. The words “DEATH TO THE IDF” had been spray-painted on the driveway. This act is being investigated as a hate crime, with authorities suspecting it was an intentional attack.

Graffiti saying “Death to the IDF” was sprayed on a suburban street in Clayton, Missouri, on Wednesday. (KMOV)

“The assault on a Jewish family in St. Louis highlights another instance of violence driven by political and ideological forces, a situation that demands everyone’s attention. Upon receiving news of the incident, the embassy notified Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney Leo Terrell, who is committed to a stringent zero-tolerance policy against anti-Israel violence and hate-filled speech,” an Israeli Embassy spokesperson in D.C. shared with Fox News Digital.

According to FBI data, while there was a slight decline in overall hate crimes in 2024, those targeting Jews reached a new peak. The FBI documented 11,679 hate crime incidents in 2024 compared to 11,862 in 2023. Despite Jews representing around 2% of the U.S. population as reported by Pew research, FBI statistics show 16% of all hate crimes and about 70% of religious hate crimes were directed at Jews.

A car was burned and heavily damaged overnight Wednesday in Clayton, Missouri, in an incident currently being investigated as a hate crime. (KMOV)

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also records antisemitic events, noting 9,354 incidents in 2024—the most since its record-keeping began in 1979. The discrepancy between ADL and FBI figures is because the ADL includes non-criminal incidents, whereas the FBI records only criminal acts.

The Trump administration has taken steps to address the increase in antisemitism in the U.S., establishing a task force headed by Terrell. The administration has also sought to hold universities accountable for failing to effectively address antisemitic incidents on their campuses.