ExtremismU.S. Antisemitic Incidents Remained at Historic High in 2020

Antisemitic incidents remained at a historically high level   across the United States in 2020, with a total of 2,024 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). While antisemitic incidents declined by 4 percent after hitting an all-time high in 2019, last year was still the third-highest year for incidents against American Jews since ADL started tracking such data in 1979.

ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, issued today on the 2nd anniversary of the deadly white supremacist attack on the Chabad of Poway, California, recorded a total of 1,242 incidents of harassment, an increase of 10 percent from 2019. At the same time, reported acts of vandalism and assault declined by 18 percent and 49 percent, respectively, and there were no antisemitic fatalities reported in 2020.

“While any decline in the data is encouraging, we still experienced a year in which antisemitic acts remained at a disturbingly high level despite lockdowns and other significant changes in our daily lives and interactions with others,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “We can’t let our guard down. As communities begin to open up and people spend more time in person with others, we must remain vigilant.”

The year was dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led in some cases to Jews and other marginalized communities being blamed or scapegoated for spreading the virus. After the pandemic became more widespread starting in March, incidents of antisemitism at schools and colleges dropped precipitously as learning moved online.

This led to an increase in incidents of antisemitic “Zoombombing” – the intentional disruption of live videoconferences. In 2020, ADL recorded 196 incidents of antisemitic videoconferencing attacks. Of those incidents, 114 targeted Jewish institutions such as schools and synagogues.

Major Findings
In 2020, ADL counted a total of 2,024 antisemitic incidents across the U.S., a 4 percent decline from the 2,107 incidents recorded in 2019. ADL’s Audit classifies all incidents into three categories: assault, harassment, and vandalism. Of the total incidents reported in 2020:

·  Harassment: There were 1,242 harassment incidents, cases where one or more Jews reported having been harassed by antisemitic language or actions. Acts of harassment increased by 10 percent from 1,127 in 2019.