Antisemitic incidents surge in US, says ADL

Charlottesville white supremacist rally main factor in 67% increase over same period in 2016

NEW YORK (JTA) – Antisemitic incidents in the US in the first nine months of 2017 rose 67% over the same period last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which factored in a string of bomb threats largely attributed to a Jewish teenager in Ashkelon. If the current pace holds, they will nearly double the number of antisemitic incidents in 2015.

There was also a 92% increase in antisemitic incidents in New York City – 171 this year compared to 89 last year.

Antisemitic assaults, however, have fallen sharply since last year. There were 29 assaults in the first nine months of 2016, versus 12 over the same period this year – a decrease of some 60%.

Thursday’s report by the ADL said that in addition to the waves of bomb threats against Jewish institutions at RIOT POLICE PROTECT members of the Ku Klux Klan from counterprotesters as the white supremacists arrive on July 8 to rally in opposition to city proposals to remove or make changes to Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Virginia. the beginning of the year, the main driver of antisemitic incidents was the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August.

Most of the 162 total bomb threats are suspected of coming from an American-Israeli Jewish man living in Ashdod, Israel. Even discounting the bomb threats, there was still a 46% increase in incidents. The seven weeks following the Charlottesville rally saw 221 incidents of antisemitism.

“We are astonished and horrified by the rise in antisemitic harassment, incidents and violence targeting our communities,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s CEO and national director. “While the tragedy in Charlottesville highlighted this trend, it was not an aberration. Every single day, white supremacists target members of the Jewish community – holding rallies in public, recruiting on college campuses, attacking journalists on social media, and even targeting young children.”

Following the arrest of the Jewish bombing hoax suspect in March, Greenblatt explained why the ADL would continue to include the threats – which forced the evacuations of Jewish community centers, synagogues, Jewish pre-schools and the ADL itself – in its tally of antisemitism.

“While the details of this crime remain unclear, the impact of this individual’s actions is crystal clear: These were acts of antisemitism,” Greenblatt said in a statement at the time. “These threats targeted Jewish institutions, were calculated to sow fear and anxiety and put the entire Jewish community on high alert.”

There were 1,299 incidents of antisemitism in the US between January 1 and September 30, 2017, according to the report. In all of 2016, there were 1,266 – and that was itself a 34% increase over 2015. If the 2017 pace continues, this year will see 1,732 antisemitic incidents, close to double the 942 incidents two years ago.

Most of the incidents – including the bomb threats – fell into the category of harassment, while there were more than 500 incidents of antisemitic vandalism and 12 incidents of physical assault. There were 269 incidents in elementary, middle and high schools, more than double the 2016 figure. Incidents on college campuses also increased nearly 60% since last year.

States with high Jewish populations saw the most incidents, including New York, California, Massachusetts and Florida. New York State has seen 267 incidents up to September 30, more than the 199 reported all of last year. Most of the incidents were acts of vandalism.

The ADL canceled a Thursday news conference about the report, citing Tuesday’s terrorist attack in lower Manhattan in which eight people were killed.