Three anti-Semitic incidents occur per day in the United States, an audit by the Anti-Defamation League reports.
The audit, which is updated annually, recorded a total of 1,211 incidents targeting Jews and their property. There were 29 physical assaults, 760 instances of harassment and threats, and 422 cases of anti-Semitic vandalism recorded in 2009. Jews in California experience the greatest levels of anti-Semitism, with about a quarter of the incidents reported in the state; that’s up more than 20 percent from the previous year. New York and New Jersey, states with large Jewish communities, rounded out the top three states with the worst record.
"America is not immune to anti-Semitism, and 2009 was no different in this regard than in any other year," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, in a press release. "It is a sobering reality that as Jews have become more accepted in society, there remains a consistent hatred of Jews among too many. The fact that Jews continue to be singled out for acts of hate on an average of three times per day in this country is a disturbing reality that we have to confront."
The audit cites a shooting attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. by a dedicated Holocaust denier, a thwarted plot by four Muslim converts to bomb synagogues in New York, and the repeated protests by Kansas-based Westboro Church members as the major anti-Semitic events last year.
The popularity boom in social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace has also created more avenues of expression for anti-Semites—somewhat controversially. The ADL analyzes this online hatred as being connected to mainstream media stories on the Middle East and on the multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme led by Jewish businessman Bernard Madoff.
The ADL notes that the rising numbers are consistent with previous years. The organization, which was founded in 1913, did revamp its data collection methods however. For instance, a graffiti swastika is now only accounted for if it’s evident that it was directed against Jews, and not as a general symbol of hate and white supremacy. Thus, it may appear that there was a decline in anti-Semitism from the 2008 audit, but this is just a reflection of the reporting standards.
"The audit is one snapshot of anti-Semitism in America," said Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair. "While it is by no means a complete picture of the problem, it presents us with important statistical data to help us identify and to quantify the wheres, whys and hows of anti-Semitism in society."
The ADL's 2009 Audit is available here.
