NEW YORKThe Anti-Defamation League warned Sunday that “the future of Jewish life in the West” was threatened, detailing a sharp rise in anti-Semitism since the start of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas last October.
The annual report of the ADL, the main Jewish rights group founded by the B’nai B’rith organization in the United States, notes that anti-Semitic incidents had increased before the war broke out in October, but that the conflict had fueled “a fire that was already out of control.”
Written jointly with Tel Aviv University, The report says anti-Semitic incidents in 2023 were well above 2022 figures in most countries with large Jewish communities, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
“The aftermath of Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel on October 7 was followed by a tsunami of hate against Jewish communities around the world,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the ADL.
The release of the report coincides with Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel.
“This year’s report is incredibly alarming, with unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism documented, including in the United States, where 2023 saw the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents ever recorded by the ADL,” Greenblatt said.
This comes amid a massive wave of pro-Palestinian protests and pro-Israel counter-demonstrations on US university campuses, with hundreds of arrests.
This has also sparked debates about anti-Semitism, while anger among many grows over the huge number of civilian deaths caused by Israel’s offensive in Gaza, triggering complaints that the protests and criticism are sometimes hateful rhetoric against Jews.
Source: With information from AP
