NEW YORK (Press Release) — JewBelong, a national nonprofit organization that fights antisemitism and makes Judaism accessible, last week put up three new billboards in San Diego reading, “Let’s be clear. Hamas is your problem too.” The new slogan is in response to the antisemitism sparked by the Israel-Hamas war, which led to a 400% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in recent weeks and has been compounded by Americans who have shown support for Hamas.
The billboards will remain up until the last week of December.
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10th St. & Broadway
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I-15 Frwy. & 94 Frwy.
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I-805 Frwy. & Logan Ave.
San Diego has a Jewish population of approximately 100,000. Since the October 7 terrorist attack, San Diego has not been immune to the national rise in antisemitism, from antisemitic graffiti found at a local high school to antisemitic flyers found in San Carlos. In 2022, California experienced a record of 327 antisemitic incidents, a 34% increase from 2021, a trend which is mirrored nationally with a reported 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, a 36% increase from 2,717 incidents in 2021. This is the highest number on record since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.
“We can’t be naive — domestic antisemitism plays into the hands of Hamas. Their goal is the complete annihilation of Jews and fighting antisemitism everywhere makes that goal harder, ” says JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman. “But Hamas, like other terrorist organizations, has much bigger goals. They are in a holy war against the Western way of life. They are an oppressive organization that will not stop with the Jews and Israel. It is time for Americans to comprehend that antisemitism starts with the Jewish people, but it will not end there. Every American who was distressed at what happened on 9/11 should be distressed about what is happening to Israel. Standing up to the hate is crucial for all of us.”
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Preceding provided by JewBelong