US anti-Semitism peaks over several years: scary statistics

Composing up to 2% of the US population as a whole, Jews represent about 9% of the population of New York State, and up to 15% of the population of the New York City metropolitan area. Therefore, the problem of anti-Semitism is very relevant in the city. 2019 was the worst in terms of anti-Semitic attacks, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Statistics showed a huge surge in violent attacks, writes DW.

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States peaked at a four-year high in 2019, according to the latest report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of the oldest and largest Jewish non-governmental organizations in the United States. The ADL's annual audit, released on May 12, found there had been more than 2000 attacks, vandalism and harassment - the most since the group began tracking the data in 1979. "In a record number of incidents, the Jewish community faced brutal and deadly anti-Semitic attacks against communities in Poway, Jersey City and Monsey, as well as violence in Brooklyn," the ADL said. Of the 96 victims of violent attacks, including 5 fatal attacks, across the United States, 25 were targeted only to Brooklyn. The area is home to many Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. In total, 2 anti-Semitic incidents were reported in the United States in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. This number represents an increase of 107% since 12. Overall, harassment and insults increased by 2018%, vandalism by 6% and assaults by a whopping 19%. “It is clear that we must remain vigilant in working to counter the threat of violent anti-Semitism and condemn it in all forms, wherever it occurs, regardless of the political affiliation of its supporters,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of ADL.

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Pupils and students more often become targets The annual report also emphasizes that while incidents in synagogues and Jewish community centers have somewhat decreased, anti-Semitism in schools and universities has continued to increase. In at least 170 cases, the motive for hate crimes was “anti-Israeli hostility,” and that many Jewish schoolchildren and students were targeted because of their “real or perceived connection with Israel.” Greenblatt said one of the most important tools in the fight against hatred is a better study of Jewish history and the Holocaust, adding that the ADL will solicit state and federal governments to ensure these topics are included in school curricula. The FBI also reported that all forms of hate crime in the United States reached a 16-year high. The bureau found that the vast majority of hate crimes in New York were directed against Jews, while overall, the largest growth occurred against the Latin American community amid anti-immigrant sentiments triggered by rhetoric from the Trump administration. As he writes "Voice of America"Almost two-thirds (63%) of American Jews reported feeling less secure than a decade ago. This is the conclusion of a survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

• Most respondents are concerned about attacks on synagogues.
• 54% of Jews reported having witnessed acts of anti-Semitism in the past five years.
• About a third said they fear becoming victims of physical violence because of their ethnicity.