Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 25, 2017

Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. increased more than one-third in 2016 and surged by more than 86 percent in the first quarter of 2017, a report by the Anti-Defamation League found.

"There has been a massive increase in the amount of harassment of American Jews, particularly since November, and a doubling in the amount of anti-Semitic bullying and vandalism at non-denominational K-12 grade schools," the ADL said in its report.

And ADL Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Greenblatt added: "There's been a significant, sustained increase in anti-Semitic activity since the start of 2016 and what's most concerning is the fact that the numbers have accelerated over the past five months."

"Clearly, we have work to do and need to bring more urgency to the fight. At ADL, we will use every resource available to put a stop to anti-Semitism. But we also need more leaders to speak out against this cancer of hate and more action at all levels to counter anti-Semitism."

The incidents include assaults, vandalism and harassment, according to the ADL. Almost 30 percent of the 1,266 acts targeting Jews and Jewish institutions in 2016 occurred in November and December, the ADL said.

"The 2016 presidential election and the heightened political atmosphere played a role in the increase," the ADL said. "There were 34 incidents linked to the election. For example, in Denver, graffiti posted in May 2016 said "Kill the Jews, Vote Trump."

Through the first three months of 2017, there have been 541 incidents compared to 291 reported during the same period in 2016, the ADL reported.

In the last 15 months, California, New York, New Jersey, Florida and Massachusetts have reported the highest number of incidents, the ADL said.

The Los Angeles Times noted part of this year's increase can be attributed to the 161 hoax bomb threats against Jewish community centers. Two men have been arrested separately in connection to those crimes.

But those threats account for less than a third of the incidents reported in 2017, the newspaper said.

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Anti-Defamation League: Anti-Semitic Incidents on The Rise in US - Newsmax

Category: Anti-Defamation League
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