A Jewish civil rights group’s annual tally of antisemitic incidents within the U.S. reached a document excessive final yr, with a surge that coincided with the 11-day struggle between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza, in keeping with a report launched Tuesday.
The Anti-Defamation League counted 2,717 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism in 2021, a 34% improve over the earlier yr and the best quantity because the New York-based group started monitoring such incidents in 1979.
Greater than 260 Palestinians and 13 Israelis had been killed in the course of the Might 2021 struggle between Israel and Hamas. Israeli plane struck a whole bunch of targets in Gaza, whereas Hamas launched 1000's of rockets at Israel. The Israeli air power bombed and destroyed a 12-story tower that housed dozens of households in addition to workplaces belonging to worldwide information shops.
The ADL counted 297 antisemitic incidents between the Might 10 begin of army motion and the top of the month, a 141% improve from the 123 incidents that it counted throughout the identical interval in 2020.
“The perpetrators of many of those incidents explicitly referred to the battle between Israel and Hamas,” the report says.
Even when incidents with specific references to Israel or Zionism are excluded, the group stated its tally of anti-Jewish incidents nonetheless elevated by 46% over the last 20 days of Might 2021, in comparison with the identical interval in 2020.
“It’s alarming as a result of the vitriol in opposition to the Jewish group is coming from all angles,” stated Oren Segal, vp of the ADL’s Middle on Extremism.
The ADL counted 15 antisemitic assaults between Might 10 and Might 30 of final yr after counting none throughout the identical interval in 2020. The group stated there's proof that no less than eight of these assaults had been motivated by “anti-Israel/anti-Zionism sentiment.”
For instance, it cited a Might 18 incident through which folks in a caravan of vehicles and flying Palestinian flags attacked Jewish diners outdoors a Los Angeles restaurant.
“The Palestinian supporters pushed one of many victims to the bottom and kicked him. Quickly after, a brawl erupted, and subsequent information studies indicated the attackers additionally hurled anti-Jewish slurs in the course of the melee,” the ADL report says.
The ADL additionally cited a Might 20 incident in New York, the place a Jewish man carrying a yarmulke was attacked on his approach to a pro-Israel rally. His attackers yelled anti-Jewish and anti-Israel slurs whereas they punched, kicked and pepper-sprayed him, the report says.
The group says its audit consists of incidents of harassment, vandalism or assault that integrated “anti-Israel and/or anti-Zionism themes” if additionally they categorical “basic anti-Jewish animus” or “demonize Jews as a gaggle for actual or perceived help of Israel.”
The 11-day struggle led to a whole bunch of anti-Israel protests and rallies within the U.S., the report says. However the group says its audit included solely these occasions that “featured slogans or indicators that instantly linked their opposition to Israel or Zionism to all Jews or integrated antisemitic tropes.”
The audit discovered that extremist teams or people, together with white supremacists, had been chargeable for 484 incidents final yr, up from 332 in 2020. The distribution of antisemitic fliers, banners, stickers or written messages accounted for many of these incidents. In addition they included acts of vandalism and bomb threats to Jewish establishments.
The group’s tally of complete 2,717 incidents final yr included 1,776 instances of harassment, a 43% improve from 1,242 in 2020. The ADL additionally counted a 14% improve in vandalism instances (from 751 in 2020 to 853 final yr) and a 167% improve in assaults (from 33 in 2020 to 88 final yr). The 88 assault incidents concerned 131 victims, none of whom was killed, the report says.
The ADL says it compiles information for its annual audit by evaluating data reported by information media, victims, legislation enforcement and group leaders. The group says it avoids conflating basic criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.
“Nevertheless, Israel-related harassment of identifiable teams or people could also be included when the harassment integrated anti-Jewish references, accusations and/or conspiracy theories, or when American Jews are demonized for his or her actual or perceived help of Israel,” the report says.
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