New report estimates anti-Israel protests have amounted to $1.5 billion in costs
According to a new report, the anti-Israel protests that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel cost the American economy more than $1.5 billion.
The report was conducted by the Middle East Forum and published on April 14.
According to a new report, the anti-Israel protests that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel cost the American economy more than $1.5 billion.
The report was conducted by the Middle East Forum and published on April 14. It found that the “total economic impact” of the protests was $1.51 billion nationwide.
“The surge of anti-Israel protests across the United States following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel has imposed substantial economic costs on businesses, communities, and public institutions,” the group explained.
“Unlike many previous protest movements that caused high-intensity but short-term damage, these demonstrations have been prolonged—often lasting weeks or months in certain areas,” the organization continued. “Their economic impact has consequently accrued over time rather than peaking in a single wave of disruption.”
According to its website, the Middle East Forum is a think tank that aims to promote “American interests in the Middle East” and protect “Western values from Middle Eastern threats.”
The group broke the total cost down into multiple categories, including property damage costing $33.1 million, law enforcement costs of $97.3 million, lost wages amounting to $178.5 million and injury and death costs of $6.5 million. The largest measured cost was lost business revenue, which amounted to $1.19 billion, according to the study.
In its study, the Middle East Forum examined protests between October 2023–right after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel–and early 2025.
In a statement provided to The New York Sun, the director of the Middle East Forum, Gregg Roman, said that the group’s study was the first quantification of the harm done by anti-Israel groups.
“This is the first time since October 7 that a direct correlation has been drawn between these anti-Israel groups, not just to intimidate or silence supporters of Israel, but to cause actual quantifiable harm,” Roman stated, adding that “there will be lawsuits that emanate from this analysis” and that the report “will act as a clarion call.”
Campus Reform has previously reported about the increase in anti-Semitic activity on college campuses that followed Hamas’ attacks against Israel, with one study finding a “jaw-dropping 3,000% rise in antisemitic tips and submissions.”
Another study, conducted by Hillel International, found that there was a 700 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents following Hamas’ attack, increasing up to 1,854 reports of anti-Semitic conduct.
Campus Reform has contacted the Middle East Forum for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
