Skip to content
NOWCAST Pittsburgh's Action News 4 at 11pm Sunday
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Why is there a rise in antisemitism?

Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.

Why is there a rise in antisemitism?

Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.

Swastika was projected onto the AT&T building. Jewish Stoneham family targeted in November with Swastikas and hate speech on the front lawn. They toss it out the window as they drive through *** community. What is sometimes called the world's oldest hate still persists today, Jewish people make up 2.4% of the US population but are the victims of 55% of religious based hate crimes. So why is anti Semitism on the rise? *** recent report by the anti defamation league show *** sharp rise in anti Semitism, anti Semitic incidents rose by 36% in 2022. Marking the highest level ever recorded since the group began tracking in 1979 assaults increased by 26%. Vandalism increased by 51% and harassment increased by 29%. The highest amount of incidents occurred in states with the highest populations of Jews, New York, California, New Jersey, Florida and Texas. Emily Snyder AD L S anti Semitic incident specialist says *** small amount of extremists are also causing disproportionately large amounts of activity in smaller cities. Jacksonville had the largest number of anti Semitic incidents about any of the cities. And that's in part due to *** small group of individuals who are part of an extremist group who have really ramped up their activity. You start to see *** spike happen in 2016 2017, in particular. And ever since then, it's been gradually climbing. *** study by AD L points to three main factors in the rise, intensified social and cultural tensions, the rise of radicalism and the increase of echo chambers on social media which call *** breeding ground for conspiracy theories. The extremists continue to organize in these spaces, communicate in these spaces, find each other um and recruit others who might be susceptible to this type of thinking. The AD L also points to the normalization of anti Semitic conspiracies. The spreading of anti Semitic propaganda by white supremacists, more than doubled with 852 in 2022 from 422 in 2021. Specifically, the go Defense League was responsible for over half of the propaganda incident. When you look at anti Semitism over the last 2000 plus years, you tend to see spikes when there is civil and political uh unrest. When people are afraid are, you know, looking for reasons why life is hard or why life isn't happening the way you envisioned your life to be. Um it's easy to start to blame. The other anti Semitic incidents can vary from harassment. We see incidents in schools all the time. Where Jewish Children are bullied, you know, coins thrown at them or anti Semitic tropes like power and greed to vandalism and even assault. The shooting took the lives of 11 people. Synagogues were the most targeted institution in 2022 *** majority of the victims of anti Semitic assaults were orthodox Jews anti bias education and all K through 12 spaces and in workplaces. Um, it's really, really important, we do find holocaust and genocide education to be *** really effective tool in combating not just anti Semitism, but all forms of hate tools like AD L S heat map help pinpoint where incidents are happening to further raise awareness and advocate for resources at resources like increased fundings for nonprofit security grants. So that way religious institutions including synagogues, mosques, churches have access to funds to harden targets. That way we can all stay safe. In addition to tracking incidents. Ad L also advocates for change the stop paper profit um campaign from *** couple of years ago, which was really powerful and, and helped limit the amount of holocaust denial on Facebook's platform. While there's *** rise in anti Semitism, Snyder says there's also an increase in support for the Jewish community. There are tons of resources, tons of people out there who are standing up against this and are very vocal about it through creating allies across all lines of race religion, identity. The Jewish community in some ways has never been in *** stronger place than it is today to fight these forces.
Advertisement
Why is there a rise in antisemitism?

Jews make up around 2% of the total U.S. population yet are the target of a majority of religious-based hate crimes.

Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in 2022 ever since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking incidents over the past four decades. This report comes after a year of highly-reported incidents of antisemitism, including a hostage situation at a Texas synagogue, celebrities sharing antisemitic remarks on social media and former President Donald Trump dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist. “People don’t realize that it didn’t start and it didn’t end with the Holocaust. That, unfortunately, what is sometimes called the world’s oldest hate, still persists today,” Jackie Congedo, spokeswoman of the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust Center, said to sister station WLWT.Emily Snider, ADL’s antisemitic incident specialist, says the spike began around 2016 and continues to rise. “When you look at antisemitism over the last two thousand years, you tend to see spikes when there is civil and political unrest,” Snider said. Antisemitism is defined as prejudice against or hatred of Jews. It takes many forms – including harassment, vandalism and assault. The ADL reports all three types of antisemitism have increased in 2022. Explaining the rise in antisemitism A study by ADL points to three main factors: intensified social and cultural tensions, the rise of radicalism on both the left and right and the increase of “echo chambers” on social media. The normalization of antisemitic conspiracies have also contributed to the rise, according to ADL’s study. The spreading of antisemitic propaganda by white supremacists more than doubled, with 852 incidents in 2022 from 422 incidents in 2021. Incidents were reported in every single state in 2022, with the highest in New York (580), California (518), New Jersey (408), Florida (269) and Texas (211). Antisemitism dates back to ancient times. In the Middle Ages and early modern era, religious antagonism towards European Jews resulted in anti-Jewish legislation, expulsions and violence, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Nazis have built centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment. The Holocaust in the 1930s-1940s, which resulted in the persecution and murder of millions of European Jews, is the most extreme and violent example of antisemitism in history. In 2018, a gunman stormed into Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and began shooting, killing 11 worshippers and injuring six others — marking it the worst antisemitic attack in American history. At the time, the synagogue was hosting members of the Tree of Life, New Light and Dor Hadash congregations for weekly Shabbat services. Fighting against antisemitism According to Snider, anti-bias education is critical to combatting forms of hate, including antisemitism. “We do find Holocaust and genocide education to be a really effective tool in combatting not just antisemitism, but all forms of hate,” Snider said. “When you educate on how hate escalates, it helps change hearts and minds.” Tools like ADL’s H.E.A.T. (Hate, Extremism, Antisemitism, Terrorism) map pinpoints where these incidents are happening, provide details to better understand the tactics extremists use, and further raise awareness to advocate for resources. “Resources like increased funding for nonprofit security grants, so that way religious institutions including synagogues, mosques, churches have access to funds to harden targets. That way, we can all stay safe,” Snider said.ADL also holds social media companies accountable for hate on their platforms through a campaign called the #StopHateForProfit campaign with the support of over 1,200 businesses, nonprofits and consumers. While studies show there is a rise in antisemitism, Snider says there’s also an increase in support for the Jewish community.“There are tons of resources, tons of people out there who are standing up against this and are very vocal about it,” Snider said.

Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in 2022 ever since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking incidents over the past four decades.

This report comes after a year of highly-reported incidents of antisemitism, including a hostage situation at a Texas synagogue, celebrities sharing antisemitic remarks on social media and former President Donald Trump dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.

Advertisement

“People don’t realize that it didn’t start and it didn’t end with the Holocaust. That, unfortunately, what is sometimes called the world’s oldest hate, still persists today,” Jackie Congedo, spokeswoman of the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust Center, said to sister station WLWT.

Emily Snider, ADL’s antisemitic incident specialist, says the spike began around 2016 and continues to rise.

“When you look at antisemitism over the last two thousand years, you tend to see spikes when there is civil and political unrest,” Snider said.

Antisemitism is defined as prejudice against or hatred of Jews. It takes many forms – including harassment, vandalism and assault. The ADL reports all three types of antisemitism have increased in 2022.

Explaining the rise in antisemitism

A study by ADL points to three main factors: intensified social and cultural tensions, the rise of radicalism on both the left and right and the increase of “echo chambers” on social media.

The normalization of antisemitic conspiracies have also contributed to the rise, according to ADL’s study. The spreading of antisemitic propaganda by white supremacists more than doubled, with 852 incidents in 2022 from 422 incidents in 2021.

Incidents were reported in every single state in 2022, with the highest in New York (580), California (518), New Jersey (408), Florida (269) and Texas (211).

Antisemitism dates back to ancient times. In the Middle Ages and early modern era, religious antagonism towards European Jews resulted in anti-Jewish legislation, expulsions and violence, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Nazis have built centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment. The Holocaust in the 1930s-1940s, which resulted in the persecution and murder of millions of European Jews, is the most extreme and violent example of antisemitism in history.

In 2018, a gunman stormed into Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and began shooting, killing 11 worshippers and injuring six others — marking it the worst antisemitic attack in American history. At the time, the synagogue was hosting members of the Tree of Life, New Light and Dor Hadash congregations for weekly Shabbat services.

Fighting against antisemitism

According to Snider, anti-bias education is critical to combatting forms of hate, including antisemitism.

“We do find Holocaust and genocide education to be a really effective tool in combatting not just antisemitism, but all forms of hate,” Snider said. “When you educate on how hate escalates, it helps change hearts and minds.”

Tools like ADL’s H.E.A.T. (Hate, Extremism, Antisemitism, Terrorism) map pinpoints where these incidents are happening, provide details to better understand the tactics extremists use, and further raise awareness to advocate for resources.

“Resources like increased funding for nonprofit security grants, so that way religious institutions including synagogues, mosques, churches have access to funds to harden targets. That way, we can all stay safe,” Snider said.

ADL also holds social media companies accountable for hate on their platforms through a campaign called the #StopHateForProfit campaign with the support of over 1,200 businesses, nonprofits and consumers.

While studies show there is a rise in antisemitism, Snider says there’s also an increase in support for the Jewish community.

“There are tons of resources, tons of people out there who are standing up against this and are very vocal about it,” Snider said.