Antisemitism is on the rise in the US and UK

Submitted by AWL on 25 May, 2021 - 5:47 Author: Colin Foster
Antisemitic graffiti

Antisemitic attacks in the USA over the two weeks to 23 May ran at over twice their average rate in 2019, according to figures collected by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Some examples: “A synagogue received an email... ‘Die fucking jew cockroaches! Israel = racism, apartheid, genocide’... a Jewish man wearing a Star of David necklace was punched by a man who allegedly asked him, ‘What is that around your neck, does that make you a fucking Zionist?’...

“A Jewish man was beaten by a group of anti-Israel protestors in Times Square [New York]. In another incident, anti-Zionist protestors shouted, ‘Fucking Zionists’ and threw fireworks at passers-by...”

The ADL stresses that many of the protests about Gaza “did not include antisemitic language”; but on or around many protests, there was antisemitism, even though protesters saw themselves as left-wing and “anti-racist”.

The 205 incidents over the two weeks compared with an average of 40 a week in 2019, but 2019 itself was a record high. It was 12% up overall on 2018, 19% up for cases of vandalism and physical damage, and 56% up for actual physical assault on people.

In Britain, the Community Security Trust reports a 500% increase in antisemitic incidents from 8-18 May compared to the previous 11 days.

Again, CST stresses that “anyone is entitled” to “express support for Palestinians”, but these are incidents of “singling out Jews and treating them as a participant in the [Israel-Hamas] conflict”.

Antisemitic attacks have been increasing in Europe and the USA for some years. This increase is correlated with upsurges of the far right, and in the USA especially of Trumpism.

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