Anti-Semitism Remains Strong in the US

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States very notably increased from 2016 to 2017. The numbers for 2018, published on Tuesday, April 30, are once again near its record high.

The trend is confirmed, although the shocking record of 2017 is not quite met. That is what is shown in the latest report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in the U.S. It was published on Tuesday, April 30, three days after a deadly attack on a synagogue in California.

The ADL, the organization in charge of monitoring incidents for the last 40 years, reveals there were 1,879 anti-Semitic acts in 2018, while reported incidents already dramatically increased by 57% – from 1,267 to 1,986 – between 2016 and 2017. “Alarmingly high,” says the ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt, who mentions an average of five anti-Semitic incidents per day in the U.S.

Less Vandalism, More Violence

While acts of vandalism decreased slightly (from 952 in 2017 to 774 in 2018), cases of harassment – higher in numbers – were on the rise (1,066 to 1,015).

Moreover, physical assaults due to anti-Semitism doubled in 2018 to reach 39 registered events in the U.S. Among them was the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh by a white supremacist on October 27. There were 11 casualties, making it the deadliest attack ever committed against the Jewish community in the U.S.

Almost all states are affected, with California and New York reporting the highest number of cases: 341 and 340, respectively.

The Influence of Extremist Ideologies

This spike in violent acts seems to correlate with the increase in popularity of white supremacy since Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

Greenblatt is convinced of this: white supremacists are bolder than ever. The ADL director remarked that Jews are “a good indicator of the level of hate in society: when anti-Semitism increases, other forms of intolerance are also on the rise.”*

Known extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideology were responsible for about 250 anti-Semitic incidents, representing 13% of the total for 2018. The annual report also noted 219 visible acts to spread anti-Semitic propaganda, such as pamphlet distribution or robocalls.

However, the report does not consider the spreading of anti-Semitic ideas on social network systems. It should be evaluated in a separate report soon.

Is Donald Trump Responsible?

Democrats often blame Donald Trump – despite his pro-Israel stance – for fostering the rise of extremism and anti-Semitism in the U.S.

But according to ADL leaders on Tuesday, no political party is free from criticism regarding anti-Semitism. They mention the statements made by the young Muslim Democrat Ilhan Omar, a member of the House of Representatives, who was heavily criticized for condemning the acts of a powerful pro-Israel American lobby.

The U.S. Is the Most Affected Country

Another report published on Wednesday, May 1, by the European Jewish Congress shows that the U.S. has the most cases of violent incidents against Jews in 2018 – more than 100 – followed by the U.K., which had 68 incidents. France and Germany registered 35 incidents each.

Anti-Semitism is no longer “confined to the activity of the far-left, far-right and radical Islamists triangle” but has become mainstream, explains Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress.

There seems to be some progress though. According to the report, European governments are taking the issue increasingly seriously.

*Editor’s note: The above quote, accurately translated, could not be verified.