NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Thursday released prelim
inary data from its Center on Extremism revealing an increase in online and real-world incidents of antisemitism in the United States since the most recent outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas.
“As the violence between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, we are witnessing a dangerous and drastic surge in anti-Jewish hate right here at home,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “We are tracking acts of harassment, vandalism and violence as well as a torrent of online abuse. It’s happening around the world — from London to Los Angeles, from France to Florida, in big cities like New York and in small towns, and across every social media platform.”
The ADL has documented disturbing antisemitism on multiple platforms — from Facebook and Twitter to TikTok and Instagram — with messages including explicit praise for Hitler, promoting tropes about Jewish control and demonizing all Jews. Extreme antisemitic and anti-Zionist content can be found across a wide variety of channels calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, including posts that state: “Gas The Kikes Race War Now.”
An analysis of Twitter in the days following the recent outbreak of violence showed more than 17,000 tweets which used variations of the phrase, “Hitler was right” between May 7 and May 14, 2021. ADL has also seen an increase in on-the-ground activity that demonizes Israel and that has crossed at times into antisemitism.
The ADL’s Center on Extremism has documented dozens of anti-Israel protests in the U.S. since the violence in Israel began, and more are planned. While the majority of protesters have stayed within the lines of free and civil discourse, the ADL has seen some expressions of clear antisemitism at these events, including signs that invoke the age-old antisemitic accusation that Jews are responsible for killing Jesus and Holocaust analogies that demonize Zionists.
The ADL has also received more reports of possible antisemitic incidents since the conflict broke out in Israel, with 193 reports in the week after the crisis began, up from 131 the previous week. Some examples include:
• Videos posted on Twitter appear to show at least one Jewish individual being beaten in Los Angeles, and Jews being intimidated on the street by individuals in cars carrying Palestinian flags.
• A group of about twenty pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “Intifada!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” across the street from the Temple Beth Israel synagogue in Skokie, Illinois.
“To those who choose to indulge in age-old antisemitic tropes, exaggerated claims and inflammatory rhetoric, it has consequences: attacks in real life on real people targeted for no other reason than they are Jewish,” said Greenblatt. “This is antisemitism, plain and simple. And it’s indisputably inexcusable in any context.”
“ADL remains steadfast in its commitment to fight antisemitism and hate with every ounce of energy we have,” Greenblatt continued. “We are working actively with authorities in cities across the country to identify the perpetrators of hate and to protect our community. We call on leaders throughout our country to speak out against antisemitism and stand alongside the Jewish community in the face of this wave of hate before it gets any worse.”
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League.
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations issued the following comment:
Today, the leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, issued the following statement in the wake of the surge of violent attacks perpetrated against American Jews in many communities in recent days:
“The leadership of the Orthodox Union condemns the recent surge of attacks upon American Jews. These hate crimes have occurred in a wide variety of settings and cities, ranging from a restaurant in Los Angeles where a group of people chanting “Death to Jews” attacked diners; a synagogue in Skokie, Ill. that was vandalized, with a shattered window and a “Free Palestine” sign left behind; a demonstration in Austin, Texas, where a protester carried a sign with a swastika superimposed over the Star of David on the Israeli flag; and midtown Manhattan, where a Jewish passer-by was attacked and bloodied as he walked by pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the Consulate of Israel.
“This spate of attacks comes as the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza continues to attack Israel with thousands of rockets for a second consecutive week, seeking to destroy the Jewish state, and weeks after a report documenting that anti-Semitism remains at historically high levels in the United States; 2020 marks the third-highest year for incidents against America’s Jews in more than 40 years.
“We call upon leaders of all sectors—political leaders, business leaders, those who lead the media and entertainment industries, and more—to speak out against anti-Jewish violence, just as they would speak out against hate crimes perpetrated against any minority segment of Americans. Rejecting these hate crimes has nothing to do with one’s views of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. People of good will must reject unprovoked violence against American Jews going about their daily activities. Doing this is critical to living together in a civil and diverse democratic society.
“We call on Congress and State governments to take immediate action to address these attacks by increasing the resources available to ensure more synagogues and other Jewish communal institutions can enhance the security of their buildings, and by providing federal and local law enforcement agencies with more resources to thwart faith-targeted violence.”
Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial issued the following statement:
Yad Vashem strongly condemns recent violent attacks against Jews around the world, the latest being yesterday’s incident in Los Angeles. We unequivocally denounce all such antisemitic attacks and rhetoric, both physical and online, that claim that Jews are collectively responsible for events in the Middle East. These disturbing expressions and acts are yet another reminder that age-old anti-Jewish hatred is still alarmingly evident worldwide.
Yad Vashem calls upon leaders and communities everywhere to stand with and protect their Jewish citizens, as well as to take necessary actions to fight antisemitism, racism and xenophobia. At Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, we are particularly sensitive to the toxic dangers of antisemitism, in its many forms and contexts, and to its destructive implications. Yad Vashem educates about the fragility of civil society and the need to engage in the vigorous defense of democratic values.
The following news release was received from the Secure Community Network:
STATEMENT BY MICHAEL MASTERS
“The recent violence between Israel and Hamas has led directly to attacks on Jewish Americans in the United States.
On Tuesday, a Jewish man in Los Angeles was beaten by a group of protesters who were reportedly asking members of the public if they were Jewish. Yesterday, antisemitic graffiti was found in a children’s playground in Greenville, New York. According to reports, swastikas were drawn on slides and other playground equipment in permanent marker. Graffiti was also found in the baseball dugout. On May 16, an unknown subject shattered a window at a synagogue in Skokie, Illinois, and left a pro-Palestinian flyer on the doorstep during the incident. Additionally, the SCN Duty Desk is aware of several Jewish organizations which have reported receiving antisemitic and anti-Israel related messages via their public facing social media pages.
SCN, as the official safety and security organization of the American Jewish community, is working with local Federations and other Jewish groups, as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities to address security issues. Our Duty Desk continues to monitor conditions nationally.
This is a time for America’s Jewish community to be vigilant and aware. Report any hate crimes you see or hear immediately to the police. If ever there was a time in which you see something to say something, it is now.
The situation in the Middle East is volatile and there are people in the U.S. who will take advantage of the situation to target America’s Jewish community.
As we have witnessed in past conflicts, there are direct security implications here in the U.S. for our houses of worship and other community spaces. This is a time to be vigilant.”