An armored law enforcement vehicle is seen in the area where a man has reportedly taken people hostage at a synagogue during services that were being streamed live, in Colleyville, Texas, U.S. January 15, 2022. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber

Jewish Texans have experienced an over 400 percent increase in antisemitic incidents since 2020, according to a recently released state report, the first of its kind in Texas’ history.

The report, authored by local faith and civic leaders in the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, found 60 antisemitic incidents in Texas so far in 2022. In 2020, there were 14.

“The trend accelerated even before Gov. Gregg Abbott formally signed [HB2357] into law on June 16, 2021,” the commission wrote, citing legislation the Texas state legislature approved to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

“Antisemitic incidents have grown more frequent and more extreme in Texas,” it continued. “This reflects a national and global trend as hate can spread more easily than ever through social media and other online channels.”

The commission cited several incidents from recent years as examples of disturbing antisemitic activity, most notably in Colleyville, Texas, in which a gun-wielding terrorist took four hostages at a synagogue. Other incidents include an intentional fire set by a white supremacist at synagogue in Austin in Oct. 2021, which severely damaged the building; and several acts of harassment committed by boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement activists against pro-Israel college students.

The commission recommended training courses on antisemitism for university officials, “more fully” integrating Holocaust education into state curricula, enhancing law enforcement’s understanding of and response to antisemitism, and legislation barring state funded colleges and universities from participating in academic boycotts of Israel.

The report also proposed new grants, approved by the legislature, for reinforcing security measures at schools, houses of worship, and community centers.

“With Jews comprising less than 1 percent of the state’s population, many Texans may be unaware of the discrimination, hate, and ‘othering’ that Jewish people increasingly face,” the commission said. “As the legislature works to combat the growing problem, it’s crucial to establish a common understanding of what ‘antisemitism’ means and its historical roots.”

According to statistics compiled by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Texas had the fifth most antisemitic incidents out of all fifty US states, with 112.

Follow reporter Dion J. Pierre at @DionJPierre.