Anti-Defamation League Lists Top 10 Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in 2016
New York, NY–(ENEWSPF)–December 30, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued its top 10 list of manifestations of anti-Semitism that have afflicted Jewish communities across the United States and around the world in 2016.
The past year saw the volume of anti-Semitic cyberhate elevated to unprecedented levels. The ADL list included Jewish social media users being targeted because of their faith, anti-Jewish internet memes going viral and consuming the web, the swastika remaining a hate symbol of choice, continuing Iranian and Palestinian incitement, and the threat to European Jewry.
“The various manifestations of anti-Semitism in 2016 served as a stark and sobering reminder that hatred of Jews is not history, it is a current event,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “The reality of the threat to Jewish communities around the world and to the State of Israel was reinforced time and again by rhetoric, incidents and violent assaults.”
Journalists, especially Jewish journalists, received thousands of harassing messages and even death threats as they covered the presidential campaign. The abuse included anti-Semitic graphics, pictures of journalists with their photos superimposed on Holocaust victims, and other disturbing memes. After a four-month investigation, an ADL data analysis found that Twitter was awash with anti-Semitic rhetoric, with more than 2.6 million tweets containing language frequently found in anti-Semitic speech. ADL’s Task Force on the Harassment of Journalists identified 800 journalists who had been targeted with more than 19,000 anti-Semitic tweets on Twitter.
Anti-Semitic Incidents Rise Post-Election; Swastika Remains Hate Symbol of Choice
A disturbing trend of anti-Semitic and other bias attacks took place in communities across the country following the 2016 presidential race. From Philadelphia to Los Angeles, the use of the swastika, including racist and other anti-Semitic graffiti, vandalism and reports of assaults and harassment proliferated. The wave of swastika vandalism was particularly prevalent in New York State. College campuses, religious facilities and homes were particular targets nationwide.