Anti-Defamation
The Jewish community in Austin, Texas, is responding to several instances of anti-Semitism in recent days as graffiti was found outside a local high school on Friday, followed by an anti-Semitic group unfurling a banner and giving the Nazi salute on an overpass near the Jewish community center.
On Saturday afternoon, a member of the anti-Semitic Goyim Defense League stood atop a highway overpass not too far from the Dell JCC, saluted and unfurled a banner that read “Vax the Jews.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Goyim Defense League “is a small network of virulently anti-Semitic provocateurs,” and their “overarching goal is to cast aspersions on Jews and spread anti-Semitic myths and conspiracy theories.”
Austin Mayor Steve Adler said on social media, “I am heartbroken to see anti-Semitic hatred in Austin, a welcoming and respectful place. Hatred of any kind has no place in our city.” He urged people who “see or hear” anti-Semitism to report it to the ADL.
In response to the incident, a letter signed by leaders of the local Jewish federation, ADL and area synagogues, said, in part, “We understand this is extremely upsetting and unsettling. We are always vigilant in monitoring anti-Semitic groups and work closely with law enforcement to share information about their activities. This group’s goal is to attract attention by being as offensive as possible.”
“The Austin Police Department is aware, has been incredibly supportive, and has been carefully monitoring and observing the situation. … We understand they may have plans to conduct additional activities in Austin and elsewhere in Texas over the coming days. Given their recent activities, we expect this would involve demonstrating in a public space where they can get attention. If you see them, interacting with them is not advised,” the letter went on to say.
Source: JNS
Also Read: City leaders condemn anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic messaging seen in Austin
Austin ‘s police chief responded to reports of a banner displayed over MoPac, while numerous city leaders spoke out against inappropriate graffiti at Anderson High.
City leaders are speaking out, condemning incidents of anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic messaging seen around Austin since Friday and over the weekend.
Most recently, reports came in about a banner displayed over TX-Loop 1, or MoPac Expressway. Police did not say what the comments or language on the banner said, but Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon addressed the banner on Sunday, saying the messages have no place in the capital city.
Here is Chacon’s full statement about the banner:
“Let’s be clear. Hate and bigotry have absolutely no place in our community and certainly are not welcome in our police department. Views shared by demonstrators during a protest action over the weekend were abhorrent and do not reflect our values. A screen grab from the more than two-hour incident does not tell the whole story. I ask that our community not buy into the hate and images that have been taken out of context on social media. After enduring a barrage of hate speech and personal insults being hurled at them, officers who responded to the scene calmly and professionally carried out their duty to keep drivers on MoPac, bystanders and protesters safe while ensuring that the incident did not escalate and no laws were being broken. A supervisor responded to the scene and got a protester to comply with his requests to ensure the scene remained safe. At the conclusion of the conversation, the responding supervisor declined a request for a handshake and instead opted for a fist-bump citing COVID-19 safety protocols. APD remains vigilant in its priority in keeping the Austin community safe and holding those who commit crimes accountable.”
Shalom Austin, an organization that strives to enhance the quality of Jewish life in the greater Austin area, called the MoPac banner “extremely upsetting and unsettling.”
Source: KVUE
Also Read: Two schools targeted with vandalism, anti-Semitic graffiti
A new European task force is going hard against antisemitism in a last-ditch effort to save the continent from its oldest and most self-destructive sin. It’s good news for Jews, but even better news for non-Jews seeking to solve Europe’s post-Christian identity crisis.
Once upon a time, Europe was home to most of the world’s Jews. Today, only 10 percent of the world’s Jewish population lives in Europe, the rest were either killed or forced to flee after seventeen centuries of persecution. Lately, a new batch of conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19 has given life to old obsessions with Jews and the State of Israel, which, aggravated by a growing Muslim population, have turned much of Europe into a pressure cooker. Of the 1.5 million Jews still living there, 85 percent feel that antisemitism is a serious problem, and 90 percent think it’s getting worse. Nearly half have experienced anti-Jewish hatred firsthand.
But the European Union’s new strategy, released on Oct. 5, intends to change all that. Remarkable in its scope and aggressiveness, the document takes on right-wing, left-wing, and Islamic antisemitism by name, condemning acts of violence as well as subtle “conspiracy myths and disinformation” that poison public culture. Historically, the EU has lumped antisemitism and racism together, but European leaders see that the time has come for a direct response to antisemitism. Their plan calls for new legal and political measures backed by sizeable funding and urges EU member states to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s definition of antisemitism and to apply it.
One of the more interesting aspects of the plan is its focus on “fostering Jewish life” by preserving heritage sites and educating Gentiles about Jews and Judaism. “To dismantle prejudices and to achieve full recognition of Jewish life as part of Europe’s society,” the document notes, “awareness and knowledge of Jewish history and culture need to be increased among the general public.” It cites a recent poll that finds only 3 percent of Europeans feeling “very well informed” about Jews and 68 percent “not informed” at all, revealing a mental gap that anti-Jewish fantasies can easily fill.
Source: WNG
Also Read: Two schools targeted with vandalism, anti-Semitic graffiti
The Denver Police Department (DPD)’s bias-motivated crime unit on Monday was investigating vandalism and graffiti at George Washington High School and the Denver Academy of Torah.
George Washington High School, located at 655 S. Monaco Pkwy., was targeted sometime between late Sunday and Monday morning, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The graffiti included anti-Semitic comments, swastikas, homophobic statements and racist comments, according to ADL. The graffiti appeared to be cleaned up by Monday afternoon.
JEWISHcolorado, which runs a student club at the school called Jewish Student Connection, said they spoke with school leadership and met Monday afternoon with leaders of several student affinity groups to support their planning of student gatherings at the school on Tuesday.
The Denver Academy of Torah, located at 6825 E. Alameda Ave., was also targeted late Sunday. The vandal threw rocks through windows and damaged an electrical box, according to DPD.
The vandal also allegedly shouted an anti-Semitic slur at a neighbor who confronted them, according to ADL, which cited DPD and community reports.
The two schools are about a mile apart.
ADL released the following statement:
It is deeply disturbing that a Jewish school and a public high school were targeted with vandalism and hateful graffiti overnight in Denver. We extend our support to the students, teachers and staff at both schools. We recognize that the impact of these incidents extends beyond the school communities to the wider community.
This type of hateful behavior will not be tolerated in our community. All students, whether they attend a religious school or a public school, deserve to learn in an environment free of intimidation and intolerance.
Source: 9News
Also Read: Disney’s Maker Studios Cuts Ties With PewDiePie Over Anti-Semitic Videos
Disney’s Maker Studios has severed ties with YouTube star PewDiePie, TheWrap has learned.
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, has been dropped by the company after videos of his featuring anti-semitic jokes were uncovered by the Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, Kjellberg posted a video on Jan. 11 featuring footage of two men laughing as they hold up a banner reading “Death to all Jews.” In addition, the paper found nine other instances of anti-semitic jokes on his channel.
Kjellberg has since defended the video as a joke that went too far after advertising on the video was pulled by YouTube’s parent company, Google.
“Although Felix has created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate,” Maker said in a statement provided to TheWrap.
Three of Kjellberg’s videos have since been removed, including the one posted on Jan. 11 and another posted on Jan. 22 that showed a man dressed up as Jesus Christ saying, “Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Kjellberg’s channel currently has more than 53 million subscribers. Last December, he topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid YouTubers of 2016, having made more than $15 million.
This is not the first time the 27-year-old has come under fire for controversial jokes. He previously threatened to shut down his channel after reaching 50 million subscribers, in what turned out to be a publicity stunt.
Source: The Wrap
Also Read: Telegram is becoming a cesspool of anti-Semitic content
In the past Over the past few months, Telegram’s popularity has soared. Reach 550 million monthly active users in July 2021, Which makes it the fifth most used messaging application in the world. And as a wave of government-authorized Internet is off The app has taken the world by storm and is praised for its role in resisting censorship and helping protesters From Belarus Go to Myanmar to organize.
But Telegram’s liberal spirit has a dark side. The anti-racism organization Hope Not Hate said: The app is one of the most evil anti-Semitism pits you can find on the Internet. And this problem is getting worse every day.
A new report by Hope Not Hate focuses on the spread of anti-Semitism on the Internet. It will be released in its entirety today. The report finds that Telegram is the most important of the major Internet platforms, providing a “safe haven” for anti-Semitism and extremists.
Other social networks are launched. This especially includes followers and vendors of QAnon. This anti-Semitist conspiracy theory is related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The report pointed out that in 2021, several channels dedicated to anti-Semitism conspiracy theories or direct violent anti-Semitism content have increased dramatically-completely unhindered by Telegram restraint.
One of them is the “Dissolution of the Cabal”, which sells the New World Order conspiracy theory launched in February 2021 and has gained more than 90,000 followers so far; the other is run by an anti-Semitic QAnon advocate named GhostEzra and has received 333,000 followers.
Hope Not Hate also found that at least 120 Telegram groups and channels shared the racist and anti-Semitism manifesto written by the organization. Terrorists who attacked two mosques It occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019, killing 51 people. Telegram did not take any action on the content. Telegram’s press office did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: Corinspired
Also Read: Young people exposed to ‘widespread anti-Semitism on social media’
Anti-Semitism is “rife” across social media, with young people being introduced to hateful content via platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, new research says.
A report by campaign group Hope Not Hate found that anti-Semitism is commonly and widely spread through conspiracy theories online, with a major spike during the pandemic.
It found that Google searches for an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory which claims a secret global elite is controlling world events reached their highest level for 15 years in March 2020, while a forum on message board site Reddit dedicated to conspiracies, many containing anti-Semitic tropes, grew by 500,000 users between February and November 2020.
The research, entitled Anti-Semitism in the Digital Age: Online Anti-Semitic Hate, Holocaust Denial, Conspiracy Ideologies and Terrorism in Europe, found that the most extreme and violent anti-Semitic content was found on more niche platforms such as Telegram, Parler and 4chan.
However, it warned that potentially millions of young people are being introduced to conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism via Instagram and TikTok, where Hope Hot Hate said the theories were also prevalent.
The research was carried out in collaboration with Germany-based anti-hate group the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and Swedish anti-hate group the Expo Foundation.
According to the report, there are “millions” of results for hashtags relating to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on Instagram, while on TikTok a collection of just three hashtags linked to anti-Semitism were viewed more than 25 million times in six months.
The research noted that almost 70% of global Instagram users are aged 13 to 34, while 69% of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24.
“It’s simply astounding that despite ten years of attempts to eradicate hate speech, we were able to find anti-Semitism on every social media platform we investigated,” Hope Not Hate head of research Joe Mulhall said.
“While social media companies have been struggling to get their act together, a new generation of social media users have been introduced to anti-Semitic ideas they would be unlikely to encounter elsewhere.
Source: STV News
Also Read: Billie Eilish was targeted by anti-Semitic bots after releasing album
Billie Eilish was targeted by armies of anti-Semitic bots and trolls online after promoting her new album on MTV Israel, a new social media analysis found.
The 19-year-old pop singer made a series of promotional videos for her second studio album, Happier Than Ever, each tailored to a different country, following its July 30 release.
She shared a clip on July 31 aimed at her Israeli audience, saying ‘Hi Israel, I’m so excited that my new album, ‘Happier Than Ever,’ is out now.’
Her Instagram account was then ‘flooded with thousands of bot-driven comments consisting of Palestinian flags and other Palestine solidarity-themed comments’, according to a report – titled ‘Manufactured Outrage’ – by pro-Israel organization Creative Community for Peace (CCFP).
The CCFP study obtained by DailyMail.com analyzed six of Eilish’s posts after she put out her ‘Hi Israel’ video.
Among the top comments, 30 per cent were anti-Israel and posted by users with no posts on their personal profile (a strong indicator of bot activity). Those comments received 235,995 likes.
Another 12 per cent were posted by users with only one or two posts on their profiles.
The report describes the onslaught of anti-Israel and pro-Palestine comments as a ‘coordinated attack on Billie Eilish’ and a ‘specific effort by anti-Israel activists, who use social media to distort and influence public opinion against Israel via inauthentic means.’
‘Bot armies attacked Billie Eilish’s Instagram account with waves of sock-puppet and fake account posts. This was done in an effort to overtake her influential social media page and to use it as their own bully pulpit,’ the report said.
‘The frequency and volume of the comments creates a false impression. The overwhelming presence of the comments on the videos intended to silence her from ever mentioning Israel again and to give a false impression to her fans that thousands of real people are posting comments on her posts.’
Source: Daily Mail
Also Read: Anti-Semitic graffiti found at Auschwitz, says museum
An investigation has been launched at Yale University after two separate instances of anti-Semitic and racially charged graffiti that were discovered at a construction site on campus.
The Yale Police Department launched an investigation into anti-Semitic and racist graffiti that were reportedly spray-painted inside the construction site for Kline Biology Tower in New Haven County, which has been closed since work began at the site, according to Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins.
Higgins said that on Monday, Sept. 20, members of the construction crew working in the area found the graffiti spray-painted inside the building and on project materials belonging to a construction company, prompting a criminal investigation and for increased security at the site.
Police said that in a separate incident, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, security cameras recorded several people who scaled the perimeter fencing and broke into the construction site before allegedly vandalizing the site with anti-Semitic and racist language.
“I am outraged by these despicable and cowardly acts of hate, and I am deeply saddened that the crew working on the site, members of our police department, and others within our community who have responded to these incidents had to see such vile messages,” Yale President Peter Salovey said in a statement.
On social media, Yale Public Safety officials issued a separate statement, saying that “Yale Police knows that hate crimes and hate incidents are heinous acts that demand immediate attention, response, and resolution. All hate crimes will be investigated promptly.
“It is extremely important for both law enforcement and community members to report hate crimes. Hate crimes are crimes. “
The investigations into the incidents are ongoing. Anyone with information has been asked to contact police investigators at Yale by calling (203) 432-4400.
Source: Daily Voice
Also Read: Anti-Semitic graffiti found at Auschwitz, says museum
Anti-Semitic graffiti has been discovered on barracks on the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau II Nazi death camp, the Memorial and Museum running the site said on Tuesday, condemning the act as “outrageous.”
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial preserves the Auschwitz death camp set up on Polish soil by Nazi Germany during World War Two. More than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, perished in gas chambers at the camp or from starvation, cold and disease.
The spray-painted graffiti on nine windowless wooden barracks that each housed hundreds of prisoner included statements in English and German, as well as two references to often-used Old Testament sayings frequently used by anti-Semites, the Memorial said in a statement published on Twitter.
“An offense against the Memorial Site – is above all, an outrageous attack on the symbol of one of the greatest tragedies in human history and an extremely painful blow to the memory of all the victims of the German Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau camp,” the memorial site tweeted.
Antisemitism has been prolific during the pandemic. Anti-vaccine and mask protesters have worn yellow Stars of David, which they say represent victimization from public health mandates. Several Holocaust museums and memorials in the U.S. have been defaced over the last two years in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Charleston, S.C.; Tulsa; Portland, Ore.; and Albuquerque.
A report published by the European Commission on the rise of antisemitism during the pandemic in France and Germany found a surge of online activity. Hateful content on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram increased sevenfold in the French language and 13-fold in German, the report said. There were 585 incidents in Austria in 2020 — an increase of 6.4 per cent — which made for a record high.
In August, Poland’s government passed a law that would cut off restitution for Holocaust survivors and their descendants, which allowed them to reclaim property that was seized under Nazi and communist rule. Israel’s foreign minister, Yair Lapid, said the move “borders on Holocaust denial.”
Source: Calgary Herald
Also Read: ‘Camp Auschwitz’ shirt among anti-Semitic signs raising alarms in Capitol riot