Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States spiked 388% in the wake of the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League.
Preliminary findings identified a total of 312 anti-Semitic incidents between October 7 and 23, of which 190 were directly related to the Israel-Hamas war. The findings are in sharp contrast to the same period last year, when the ADL reported 64 anti-Semitic incidents, only four of which were Israel-related.
Jonathan Greenblatt, the group’s chief executive, said the findings were concerning, as conflicts in Israel typically lead to an increase in anti-Semitic incidents globally. He said it should be but not surprising. In May 2021, during the last Israel-Hamas war, ADL reported a 115% increase in anti-Semitic incidents from May 11 to the end of the month compared to the same period in 2020.
“From white supremacists in California who hang anti-Semitic banners on freeway overpasses to radical anti-Zionists who harass Jews for their actual or perceived support for the Jewish state, As the war rages on, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic activity here,” Greenblatt said. said in a statement.
Since the October 7 attacks, Jewish communities around the world have also seen a significant increase in anti-Semitic activity. In France, It has become As of Monday, 588 anti-Semitic incidents had been reported to police. Germany has seen a 240% increase in anti-Semitic incidents since October 7 compared to last year, almost all of them related to Israel. London police report that at least 218 anti-Semitic hate crimes were reported between October 1 and 18, more than 13 times the number for the same period last year.
Richard Priem, chief operating officer and deputy national director of Community Security Services, an organization that has trained more than 3,000 volunteers across the United States to protect synagogues and other Jewish institutions, said that Israel and He agreed that the Hamas conflict “is being exploited by some people in the United States.” as a pretext to target the Jewish community. ”
Priem said. eJewish philanthropy ADL said the findings were “very concerning”.
“We will continue to work with our staff team of security experts and thousands of volunteers across the country to keep Jewish facilities and events safe,” he said.
The ADL report was released two days after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, responding to a question about anti-Semitism, suggested that threats against Jews have not increased since Oct. 7. She said Monday that officials “have not seen any credible threat.” She went on to discuss crimes targeting Muslims and Arab Americans.
Jean-Pierre, who faced criticism for seemingly downplaying attacks on Jews and Jewish organizations, later said the White House was “very concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.” “I am,” he declared.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise not only in the United States but around the world, as official channels associated with Hamas leader Khalid Mashal urge Muslims around the world to participate in the 2019 “Day of Rage.” The incident comes after a statement calling for it to be widely circulated. On October 13, countries join Hamas in the fight against Israel. Although the statement was vague and U.S. officials had not reported any credible threats, several full-time Jewish schools in the two cities decided to close that day in an unusual move.
ADL’s latest report says there have been 400 anti-Israel rallies since October 7, 109 of which the group called “explicit or strong implicit support for Hamas and Israeli violence against Jews.” I’m here.
The data specifically addresses the number of rallies and rallies on college campuses, which are often hotbeds for events celebrating Israeli attacks, and are often organized by local chapters of Students for Palestine Justice at more than a dozen U.S. universities. ing. Some groups at schools such as Georgetown University and the University of California, San Diego describe their events as vigils for Palestinian “martyrs.”
Armed guards are becoming the new normal at some Jewish centers on university campuses across the country as the war between Israel and Hamas enters a new phase, raising the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. be. “While it may be unimaginable that a student going to a simple religious service would have to pass through armed security, in some cases “We need that on campus.”
Specific incidents cited in the ADL’s findings include a man who allegedly punched a Jewish woman in the face and told her it was because she was Jewish in Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal on October 15. . On October 8, a car carrying a Palestinian detainee was involved in a collision.The flag reportedly intentionally swerved out of its lane and nearly hit an apparently Jewish family in Clifton, N.J.
In response to the findings, Greenblatt called on “everyone from political leaders to CEOs to university presidents to forcefully and clearly condemn anti-Semitism and terrorism. This is not difficult. Words matter. And as the war in Gaza rages on, we encourage all those in the following positions:
They are empowered to use their platforms to denounce hatred and terrorism wherever it occurs. ”