 THIS WEEK’S TOPLINE
ADL Being Silenced on Wikipedia is Wrong In deeply disturbing news, a subset of Wikipedia editors is taking action to block ADL as a trusted source on antisemitism and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. You know as a member of the ADL community that we are a global leader in combating antisemitism. Antisemitism is one of the oldest and most pernicious forms of hate, and it is also in many ways one of the most often misunderstood. By cutting off ADL information and the trusted data and authoritative research that is behind that information from its website, Wikipedia is stripping the Jewish community of the right to define the hatred that targets that very community. We are deeply concerned that such a decision will enable extremists to use this as cover to perpetuate antisemitism on one of the most popular websites for information. At a time when antisemitic attitudes are increasing and antisemitic incidents are skyrocketing, especially in the wake of the 10/7 Hamas attack, this is simply unacceptable and it puts the Jewish community at risk. ADL appreciates that our partners across the Jewish community are calling on Wikipedia’s board to take action on this unfair and dangerous situation. We ask you to click here to join us in speaking out now.
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| CAMPUS CRISIS UPDATE
Making the Grade. Since anti-Israel encampments on campuses spread across the U.S. after the 10/7 Hamas attack on Israel, some college administrators have handled it well in supporting their Jewish students, and some have handled it terribly. As ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt told Wolf Blitzer on CNN, these recent actions (and inaction) by campus leaders are reflected in revised grades for some of the 85 schools assessed in our Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which was released in beta this April as a tool for parents, students, alumni and campus leaders to evaluate the state of antisemitism on campus.
Watch the CNN clip about the revised grades, with scores dropping at some prominent schools while others were raised because of improved policies and procedures and demonstrated leadership in responding to antisemitic incidents and disruptions resulting from the hostile anti-Israel encampments.
Mapping Out Protester Arrests. As the wave of anti-Israel protests disrupted campuses across the country, launching hostile encampments, seizing school buildings and in some cases assaulting students or staff, campus leaders and law enforcement took steps in many of these situations to make arrests. A new map in the New York Times shows where thousands of arrests took place, from UCLA on the West Coast to Columbia on the East Coast. |
| WHAT’S NEWS
A Gold Medal in Fighting Hate: This week, ADL’s Carole Nuriel briefed Israel’s Olympic and Paralympic delegations to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris about post-Oct 7. antisemitism. The athletes were provided with best practices on how to handle incidents they may encounter as well as background information on antisemitism in sports and the use of sports as a change agent.
How AI-Generated Music Can Pump Up Hate: Extremists and online trolls are using Suno, an increasingly influential Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) music creation tool, to make songs promoting antisemitism hate speech, racist stereotypes, calls for violence and extremist rhetoric. Read more from the ADL Center on Extremism about this vast library of disturbing songs that show one of many ways in which bad actors are weaponizing Artificial Intelligence. A New Warning from the Surgeon General: ADL supports this week’s call by the U.S. Surgeon General for a warning label on social media platforms. “A warning label would dramatically highlight that hate and harassment is rampant on social media platforms, and teens are a particularly vulnerable group. It’s a welcome development that health professionals like Dr. Murthy are working alongside researchers, policymakers, and advocates in thinking creatively about helping targets of hate and harassment online.” Read more from ADL about this step and the need to reduce online hate. |
| SOCIAL SPOTLIGHTS
We applaud @NewYorkStateAG and all 62 New York District Attorneys who’ve committed their offices to prosecute hate crimes to the fullest extent possible in the wake of an unprecedented rise in antisemitic incidents in the state. We hope other states will follow their leadership. News Link. The school year has ended, yet after months of anti-Israel protests and encampments on campuses, National SJP is now organizing a “summer school” in an effort to grow the “Student Intifada” in the coming academic year. Reminder: a call for intifada is a call for violence. Social media is a super spreader of antisemitism & bigotry in all forms. As I shared on @SquawkCNBC, @ADL’s Online Hate & Harassment report showed that 22% of Americans experienced severe online harassment & 50% of teens experienced any harassment in the past 12 months. |
| @ ADL’S INCIDENT TRACKER
The @ADL_tracker feed of news and developments in antisemitism activities. Anti-Israel protesters have claimed responsibility for 3 recent arson attempts at @UCBerkeley. The latest came during “Operation Campus Flood” — a reference to “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” Hamas’ name for its Oct 7 massacre. This is a dangerous escalation into more violent tactics. — June 18, 2024 Read the full post We are horrified by media reports that a 12-year-old Jewish girl in the Paris area was beaten and raped by three teenagers who were motivated by antisemitism. We welcome the French authorities’ investigation into these allegations. News Link. — June 18, 2024 Read the full post West Boca Raton man threatened mass shooting at synagogue, arrest report says. News Link. — June 17, 2024 Read the full post Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) |