Anti-Semitic Incidents in U.S. Hit All-Time High in 2019

·  Vandalism: There were 919 vandalism incidents, cases where property was damaged in a manner which that harmed or intimidated Jews. Swastikas, which are generally interpreted as symbols of anti-Semitic hatred, were present in 746 of these incidents. Acts of anti-Semitic vandalism increased 19 percent from 774 in 2018.

 

·  Assault: There were 61 assault incidents, cases where individuals were physically targeted with violence accompanied by evidence of anti-Semitic animus. Anti-Semitic assault increased 56 percent from 39 in 2018. Eleven of the 61 assaults were perpetrated with deadly weapons such as guns or knives. The 61 assault incidents harmed 95 victims, including five fatalities.

There were incidents reported in every state, except Alaska and Hawaii. The states with the highest numbers of incidents were New York: 430, New Jersey: 345, California: 330, Massachusetts: 114 and Pennsylvania: 109. Combined, these states account for nearly 45 percent of the total number of incidents.

ADL’s Center on Extremism has gathered the complete 2019 data, as well as data from the previous two years, on ADL’s H.E.A.T. Map, an interactive online tool that allows users to geographically chart anti-Semitic incidents and events nationally and regionally.

“It’s clear we must remain vigilant in working to counter the threat of violent anti-Semitism and denounce it in all forms, wherever the source and regardless of the political affiliation of its proponents,” said Greenblatt. “We need to ensure that synagogues and community centers have the right security measures in place to prevent the next potential attack. We plan to work with members of Congress and other elected officials this year to ensure that funding is in place and that all states mandate Holocaust education, which can serve as an effective deterrent for future acts of hate.”

In 2019, ADL recorded 270 anti-Semitic incidents attributed to known extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideology. This represents 13 percent of the total number of incidents.

K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, continue to experience a significant number of anti-Semitic incidents. ADL recorded 411 incidents at K-12 non-Jewish schools in 2019 (up 19 percent from 344 in 2018), and 186 incidents at colleges and universities (down 10 percent from 201 in 2018).

In 2019 there were 234 reported incidents at Jewish institutions such as synagogues, Jewish community centers and Jewish schools, a decrease of 12 percent from 265 in 2018. More than 170 were incidents of harassment and 60 were incidents of vandalism. Fifty of the incidents targeting Jewish institutions were perpetrated by domestic extremists.

At least 170 anti-Semitic incidents in 2019 referenced Israel or Zionism. Of those, 68 took the form of white supremacist groups’ propaganda efforts, which attempt to foment anti-Israel and anti-Semitic beliefs. Most of the remaining incidents were expressions of anti-Israel animus that incorporated anti-Semitic imagery or harassment and demonization of Jewish students for their real or assumed connection to Israel.

The Audit offers a snapshot of one of the ways American Jews encounter anti-Semitism, but a full understanding of anti-Semitism in the U.S. requires other forms of analysis as well, including but not limited to, public opinion polling, assessments of online anti-Semitism, and examinations of extremist activity, all of which ADL offers in other reports, such as ADL Global 100Quantifying Hate: A Year of Anti-Semitism on TwitterOnline Hate and Harassment: The American ExperienceMurder and Extremism in the United States in 2019, and the ADL Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews.  

How ADL is Responding

ADL says it has a comprehensive approach to addressing anti-Semitic incidents and behavior, including educating youth to prevent these incidents and working with law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators. ADL works to enact laws to improve federal, state, and local prevention tactics and response to anti-Semitic hate crimes and all forms of hate violence.

ADL partners with law enforcement to raise awareness of extremist threats and trains law enforcement professionals to recognize and disrupt potential threats. ADL likewise provides education and training every day to students, reaching young people at a time when they are most vulnerable to bullying and social pressures. ADL also works with victims and universities to respond to anti-Semitic harassment and other worrying incidents on college campuses. Finally, ADL’s No Place for Hate and Words to Action programs teach understanding and promote inclusivity in schools and on campuses, respectively.

ADL says that in response to the historic rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past four years, ADL has made the following policy recommendations:

·  Nationwide, public officials and civic leaders should use their bully pulpits to speak out against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate and extremism.

·  Congress should hold additional hearings on the increase in hate crimes, the rise of extremist groups and proliferation of their propaganda, and support legislation, including the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, that calls on the federal government to improve coordinated responses and collect data on domestic terrorism.

·  Congress should increase funding for non-profit security grants for synagogues and other houses of worship, schools, and community centers. 

·  Policymakers must support efforts to provide law enforcement officials with the tools and training they need to prevent and effectively respond to hate crimes. Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies should also improve their procedures for responding to and reporting hate crimes. Congress should approve the pending Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act and fully fund Section 4704 of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act for “technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or any other form of assistance” to state and local law enforcement authorities for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes.

·  School districts should promote anti-bias, bullying prevention, and Holocaust education programs in elementary and secondary schools. University leadership should respond firmly and forcefully to anti-Semitic acts on college campuses, including incidents that target Jewish students because of their actual or perceived support of the state of Israel. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state legislators and mayors should increase funding to promote an inclusive school climate and for anti-bias education, Holocaust and genocide education, and hate crime prevention.

The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs. Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported.

The article is published courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).