Anti-Semitic Incidents Remained at Near-Historic Levels in 2018; Assaults Against Jews More Than Doubled

  • April 30, 2019

California Numbers Continue To Rise

Los Angeles, April 30, 2019 … The U.S. Jewish community experienced near-historic levels of anti-Semitism in 2018, including a doubling of anti-Semitic assaults and the single deadliest attack in U.S. history, according to new data from ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) issued today. ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic incidents recorded a total of 1,879 attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions across the country in 2018, the third-highest year on record since ADL started tracking such data in the 1970s.

In a year marked by the white supremacist shooting spree at a Pittsburgh synagogue, which claimed 11 lives, and punctuated by a dramatic surge in white supremacist propaganda activity nationwide, ADL’s Audit identified 59 people who were victims of anti-Semitic assaults in 2018, up from 21 in 2017. While the overall number of incidents represents a 5 percent decline from 1,986 incidents reported in 2017, the number of incidents last year remained at near-historic levels – 48 percent higher than the total for 2016 and 99 percent higher than in 2015.

California saw an overall increase of 27%, with 244 incidents of harassment, 88 incidents of vandalism, and 9 incidents of assault. ADL Los Angeles Regional Director Amanda Susskind said, “We continue to be concerned about the historic levels of anti-Semitism both nationwide and in California. While some measure of the uptick in California may be due to better reporting, anti-Semitic incidents continue to plague our communities – the fatal shooting in Poway and the thwarted terrorist attack over the weekend are just two stark reminders.”

ADL’s annual tally of incidents nationwide found that anti-Semitic assaults, harassment and vandalism are still pervasive in the U.S. All but four states experienced anti-Semitic incidents. In addition to the October mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, 2018 saw high levels of white supremacist activity, including propaganda on college campuses and in communities, and hateful robocalls aimed at voters.

“We’ve worked hard to push back against anti-Semitism, and succeeded in improving hate crime laws, and yet we continue to experience an alarmingly high number of anti-Semitic acts,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “We unfortunately saw this trend continue into 2019 with the tragic shooting at the Chabad synagogue in Poway. It’s clear we must remain vigilant in working to counter the threat of violent anti-Semitism and denounce it in all forms, wherever the source and regardless of the political affiliation of its proponents.”

ADL’s Audit classifies all incidents into three categories: assault, harassment and vandalism. Of the total incidents reported in 2018:

Harassment: 1,066 incidents of anti-Semitic harassment were reported to ADL last year, a 5 percent increase from 1,015 in 2017, and a 48 percent increase from 721 in 2016. In California there were 244 incidents of harassment reported, up from 160 during 2017.

Patrick Little and Emily Youcis in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles (August).

Selected incidents of harassment reported to ADL Los Angeles in 2018 include:

  • Individuals associated with the white supremacist organization Patriot Front placed a large, hand-made banner bearing the words “AMERICA FOR AMERICANS” AND “THE REST MUST GO” on the northbound side of the 405 Freeway (Los Angeles, February).
  • Anti-Semitic fliers in the form of political propaganda for Senate candidate Patrick Little were placed on the windshields of cars (Los Angeles, June).
  • Patrick Little and Emily Youcis appeared in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles with posters bearing the phrases “Jews Rape Kids” and “Heather O’Rourke Raped by Jews” (Los Angeles, August).
  • An advertisement for a room rental on Craigslist included the phrase “…no pets no smoking no slobs and no jews sorry !” (Los Angeles, August).

Vandalism: 774 incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism were recorded in 2018, down 19 percent from 952 in 2017, but up 52 percent from 510 in 2016. In California there were 88 incidents of vandalism reported, down from 108 during 2017.

Selected incidents of vandalism reported to ADL Los Angeles in 2018, include:

  • White supremacist graffiti including the terms “Pure Hate” and “88” (referencing “heil Hitler” as h is the eighth letter of the alphabet), was seen on a wall bordering a large store (Woodland Hills, November).
  • The phrase written in graffiti on a university campus wall, “Anti-Semitism Exists, Acknowledge It,” originally written to express solidarity after the Pittsburgh shooting, was partially written over with the phrase “Palestine Exists, Acknowledge It” (Claremont, December).

Assaults: 39 incidents, marking an increase of 105 percent from the 19 incidents reported in 2017. Those incidents affected 59 victims, up from 21 in 2017, and including the 11 fatalities and two injured congregants in Pittsburgh. In California there were 9 incidents of assault reported, up from 0 in 2017. In a case that shook the LA community, on November 23, 2018 a Seattle man driving near Congregation Bais Yehuda allegedly yelled anti-Semitic remarks at two men exiting the synagogue, made a U-turn and drove at the pair, who were walking on a sidewalk. The perpetrator is being charged with attempted murder and the case has yet to be adjudicated.

 

Anti-Semitic fliers in the form of political propaganda for Senate candidate Patrick Little were placed on the windshields of cars (Los Angeles, June).

While most anti-Semitic incidents are not directly perpetrated by extremists, there are interesting connections between the trends. In 2018, 249 acts of anti-Semitism (13 percent of the total incidents) were attributable to known extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideology, making it the highest level of anti-Semitic incidents with known connections to extremists or extremist groups since 2004. Of those, 139 incidents were part of fliering campaigns by white supremacist groups. Another 80 were anti-Semitic robocalls allegedly perpetrated by anti-Semitic podcaster Scott Rhodes in support of the candidacy of Patrick Little, an unabashed white supremacist who ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in California.

The Audit also noted spikes at several points during the year. The final three months of the year were unusually active, with 255 incidents in October, 300 in November and 194 in December. The high number in October included 45 propaganda distributions by white supremacists. The incidents in November and December immediately followed the Pittsburgh massacre, which likely drew more attention to anti-Semitic activities. Incidents first spiked in May, when 209 anti-Semitic acts were reported, including 80 anti-Semitic robocalls sent by white supremacists, which targeted Jewish individuals and institutions with harassing messages.

Incidents took place in nearly every state across the country but, consistent with prior reports, the states with the highest number of incidents tend to be those with the largest Jewish populations. These include California (341); New York (340); New Jersey (200) and Massachusetts (144).  Combined, these states accounted for more than half of the total incidents in the U.S.

Anti-Semitic incidents took place in a wide variety of locations, including places of business, private homes, public areas such as parks and streets, Jewish institutions and schools:

  • At private businesses and retail establishments: 211 (5% increase from 201 in 2017)
  • In cemeteries: 8 (up from 7 in 2017)
  • In homes: 276 (16% increase from 238 in 2017)
  • Incidents on college campuses: 201 (1% decrease from 204 in 2017)
  • Incidents in K-12 schools: 344 (25% decrease from 457 in 2017)
  • Incidents at Jewish institutions: 265 (23% decrease from 342 in 2017)

ADL’s Center on Extremism has gathered the complete 2018 data, as well as data from previous years on ADL’s H.E.A.T. Map, an interactive online tool that allows users to geographically chart anti-Semitic incidents and events nationally and regionally.

HOW ADL IS RESPONDING

ADL has a comprehensive approach to addressing anti-Semitic incidents and behavior, including educating youth to prevent these incidents and working with law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators. ADL works to enact laws to improve federal, state, and local prevention tactics and response to anti-Semitic hate crimes and all forms of hate violence. ADL partners with law enforcement to raise awareness of extremist threats and trains law enforcement professionals to recognize and disrupt potential threats. ADL likewise provides education and training every day to students, reaching young people at a time when they are most vulnerable to bullying and social pressures.  ADL’s No Place for Hate and Words to Action programs teach understanding and promote inclusivity in schools and on campuses, respectively.

ADL has been a longstanding partner in the effort to ensure the safety of Jewish community organizations and recently announced that former Homeland Security secretaries Michael Chertoff and Jeh Johnson will co-chair a new Community Safety and Security Task Force convened by ADL and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the homeland security and safety initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of President of Major American Jewish Organizations. The task force will work to enhance the safety, security and resiliency of religious communities.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

In response to the historic rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past three years, ADL has made the following policy recommendations:

  • In the aftermath of the deadliest anti-Semitic incident in American history, public officials and civic leaders should use their bully pulpits to speak out against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate and extremism.
  • Congress should hold additional hearings on the increase in hate crimes, the rise of extremist groups and proliferation of their propaganda, and support legislation, including the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, that calls on the federal government to improve coordinated responses and collect data on domestic terrorism.
  • Policymakers must support efforts to provide law enforcement officials with the tools and training they need to prevent and effectively respond to hate crimes. Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies should also improve their procedures for responding to and reporting hate crimes.
  • School districts should promote anti-bias and bullying prevention programs in elementary and secondary schools. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state legislators and mayors should increase funding to promote an inclusive school climate and for anti-bias education and hate crime prevention.

“It is incumbent upon our leaders to continue fighting anti-Semitism at every opportunity,” said George Selim, ADL Senior Vice President of Programs and a former DHS official. “We will continue to advocate for legislative and other remedies to ensure that there is no place for anti-Semitism in our society.”

The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs. Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. The Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents is a project of ADL’s Center on Extremism, whose work is supported in part by the following generous donors: Roman Abramovich, the David Berg Foundation, The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Ford Foundation, Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, The Marlene Nathan Meyerson Family Foundation, Rowland & Sylvia Schaefer Family Foundation, Inc., Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, The Nancy K. Silverman Foundation, Louis Sobelman, and the Zegar Family Foundation, as well as numerous others.

See also: National Press Release

 

In The News:

Los Angeles Times: “Anti-Semitic assaults tripled in 2018, says a new Anti-Defamation League report”

Los Angeles Times: “After synagogue shooting, Newsom supports $15 million to secure religious facilities”

Los Angeles Daily News: “ADL says anti-Semitism is on the rise in U.S., nearing historic highs”

Los Angeles Times: Editorial “The violence in Poway”

Jewish Journal: “ADL: 2018 Was Third Highest Year for Anti-Semitic Incidents”

City News Service: “ADL Says Anti-Semitism on the Rise”

KTLA (TV): “Anti-Semitic Incidents Remained at Historically High Levels in 2018, Report Finds”

FOX 11 (TV): “New report finds antisemitism on the rise”

KCRW (Radio)

KCAL/CBS (TV, no clip available)

KPCC on Morning Edition (RADIO, no clip available)

LAist: “On Remembrance Day, Holocaust Survivor In LA Says Anti-Semitism Today In US Is Frightening”