One year after Tree of Life attack, anti-Semitism remains pervasive threat

On October 27, 2018, our nation bore witness to the single deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, when 11 Jews were brutally murdered by a white supremacist at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In the past year, we have seen even more acts of violence, or intended violence, against Jews and other faith groups in America and around the world.

For many American Jews, however, the Pittsburgh shooting was a wake-up call. Violent, murderous anti-Semitism was something our parents or grandparents faced, not us. Many of us thought that society had learned from history, and that times had changed. One year ago, we were faced with the painful, ugly realization that we were wrong.

Seventy-four years have passed since the end of World War II. As a grandchild of four Holocaust survivors, one who grew up hearing and repeating the mantra “Never Again,” it is vexing to once again see Jews in Florida and across the country being singled out for violence and other hate crimes simply because they are Jewish.

Expressions of anti-Semitism are not new to our society, but the escalation of anti-Semitic rhetoric to incidents is deeply disturbing. In fact, the scourge of anti-Semitism has only gotten worse since Pittsburgh. There have been at least 18 attacks, plots, or threats of violence by white supremacists or other anti-Semites since the Tree of Life attack, and in 13 incidents since the Pittsburgh shooting, Jews or Jewish institutions were targeted by extremists.

Six months ago, a white supremacist killed one worshipper and injured three others at a Chabad in Poway, California. Anti-Semitic assaults are on the rise in our nation; just last week, two Jewish men were allegedly assaulted in Sunny Isles Beach.

Our Center on Extremism works hand-in-hand with law enforcement agencies on a daily basis to help identify potential threats. Multiple attacks against Jewish institutions were thwarted over the last year, including in Youngstown, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada,

where a white supremacist intended to attack a local synagogue and the ADL regional office. ADL is grateful to law enforcement for their heroic efforts to thwart these attacks. And yet for every white supremacist killer that is stopped, there is potentially another waiting in the wings.

In order to effectively counter this new paradigm, greater proactive efforts are required to stop extremism from taking root.

Social media platforms can act as fertile ground for hatred to thrive unchecked, with white supremacist forums amplifying the glorification of shooters and extremist voices. Age-old anti-Semitic canards and conspiracy theories proliferate online. Attacks have been live-streamed, including the attacks at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand and a synagogue in Halle, Germany earlier this month.

Social media platforms must exercise greater accountability for the content they host and provide users with a more seamless process for enabling users to flag and report hateful and extremist content that violates a company’s policies.

Additionally, our schools should incorporate anti-bias lessons into their curricula. Children can learn, in an age-appropriate manner, both the proliferating, harmful impact of bias and bigotry, as well as the power of being an ally.

The federal government has a role to play as well. Congress should move swiftly to pass the Jabara-Heyer No Hate Act and the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.

This is an unprecedented time in our history — for Jews and for all minority groups. From African-American churchgoers in Charleston, to Jews in Pittsburgh, to the Sikhs in Oak Creek, and the Latino community in El Paso, the white supremacist threat knows no limits. The hateful notions that inspired these mass shootings are inherently indiscriminate in its discrimination.

Let us honor those lives taken too soon and work together to build a better future, where all people can express their faith and identity free from fear.