Number of Anti-Semitic Incidents Doubled in 2018
- By Alison Lesley --
- 05 May 2019 --
1,879 incidents of vandalism, assault, and harassment happened in the U.S.
A report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on May 1 reports anti-Semitic incidents in America to be at near peak levels in 2018.[/tweetit] The ADL’s yearly audit comprising anti-Semitic incidents revealed the doubling of assault against Jews when compared with 2017 statistics. The worst incident recorded in 2018 was the Tree of Life mass shooting in Pittsburgh when a white supremacist slaughtered 11 worshippers. The case was one of the 39 officially reported physical attacks Jewish communities during 2018. The number of attacks represented a 105 percent rise from 2017. According to researchers of Tel Aviv University, out of 400 global cases, over a quarter of them happened in the U.S.
Number of Anti-Semitic Incidents Doubled in 2018[/tweetthis]
The jump in anti-Semitism was most noticeable in Western Europe. Jews living in the European Union have encountered an increased number of threats and more danger. Jews living in Germany have faced a 70 percent rise in anti-Semitic violence. Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, claimed that Jews in multiple nations across the world are suffering from a growing sense of emergency. The European Jewish Congress represents European Jews.
The ADL report also stated that many government functionaries all over the world are now actively promoting anti-Semitism. The authors of the report have singled out officials in Ukraine, Venezuela, Turkey, and Poland to be more pro-active when vilifying Jews. The ADL accused President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela of promoting anti-Semitism through the state machinery. The report elaborated on this conclusion, pointing out country's close ties to Teheran and the South American country adopting the Palestinian narrative and taking a negative stance against the Jewish community. Jews are facing a hostile atmosphere due to the conflation between Judaism, Israel, and Zionism.
The ADL drew a bleak report for Jews living in North America. The group found a horrifying 1,879 incidents of vandalism, assault, and harassment done against American Jews and Jewish institutions all over the United States. The organization noted such events make 2018 the third worst year recorded from the 1970s when it started to track such statistics. The October to November period was particularly bad, with anti-Semitic incidents registering a sharp spike, especially between the midterm elections and the Pittsburgh massacre. The harassment went up by five percent while, surprisingly, vandalism dropped 19 percent, making the latter the only category to take a dip in 2018.
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