Anti-Semitism: U.S. plateaus, Florida up

[Behind the Aegis]

Anti-Semitic incidents essentially plateaued last year, reports the Anti-Defamation League -- with Florida being one of the exceptions.

Nationally, people reported 1,239 acts of violence, harassment and vandalism against Jews in 2010, according to the Audit of anti-Semitic Incidents. That’s up just slightly from the 1,211 reported in 2009.

In the Sunshine State, the tally is 116, up from 90 in 2009. That puts Florida, as in past years, among the top four states for Jew hatred, among California, New York and New Jersey.

Andrew Rosenkranz, ADL's Florida regional director, said the common denominator is large Jewish populations.

South Florida, heart of the state's Jewish community, took nearly 70 percent of the attacks, according to the Boca Raton-based regional office. Events included:

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[Wait Wut]

1. Interesting.

I'm gonna be a bigot and say that the majority of those that harrass Jews are Republicans, Conservatives and teapers. Y'know...the ones that "love" Israel and Jews...as long as they stay there.

Go ahead, crucify me, if you must.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. It isn't limited to the right.

[Wait Wut]

5. Oh, I know.

That's why I said the "majority". I know plenty of left-wing bigots and racists. None that would perform these types of actions, however.

[Bloke 32]

2. I should be interested to know...

.....if some of these 'anti-semitic' occurrences were actually just 'anti-Israel.'

[Behind the Aegis]

3. It appears they weren't.

Overt and obvious expressions of anti-Jewish animosity are easiest to categorize as anti-Semitic incidents, and the vast majority of incidents in the 2010 ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents do reveal such overt expressions of anti-Semitism. Swastikas spray-painted on synagogues or on tombstones in Jewish cemeteries, and epithets like "dirty Jew" directed against people wearing identifiable Jewish clothing (such as kippahs), are all clear evidence of anti- Semitism.

More difficult to classify are situations in which, for example, a Jewish institution is vandalized without any specific anti-Semitic graffiti. For the purposes of this report, any deliberate and gratuitous destruction of a Jewish institution (such as broken windows or display cases), brings the act into the sphere of the Audit. Therefore, a stone thrown at a synagogue window, even without any markings of definitive anti-Semitic intent, is considered anti-Jewish hostility. While there may not be conclusive evidence to that effect, ADL tries to make reasonable judgments based on likelihood and probability.

The Audit has never included, and does not now include, thousands of anti-Semitic events that have occurred in cyberspace. The Audit does not attempt to evaluate anti-Semitic Web sites, online groups, postings and comments. It does include anti-Semitic cyberbullying and harassing anti-Semitic email or postings when they target a specific private individual. It is intended to serve only as a barometer looking at one small piece of a larger societal problem.

ADL generally counts as anti-Semitic harassment the distribution of neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic materials to individual Jews, or the placing of such items on their property. This also holds true if the material is sent to a Jewish institution or posted in a public area.

ADL does not generally include criticism of Israel in its Audit. However, where public expressions of anti-Israel sentiment become so extreme as to demonize Jews or create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation for U.S. Jews, such incidents are included.

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But I am left to wonder how many think they are being "anti-Israel" (or even just "critical") yet are engaged in anti-Semitism.

[Bloke 32]

6. A most interesting question

I can't bloody well stand Messrs. Netanyahu and Lieberman (Avigdor), yet I do believe that a Palestinian state should not include East Jerusalem, as such would be tantamount to ceding half of Vatican City to the American Southern Baptist Convention, or, indeed, giving half of Mecca to the State of Israel. It simply makes no sense.

[Bloke 32]

7. Addendum

I have indeed seen, heard, and read people who seek to use legimate criticism of the current Israeli regime as a cover for anti-semitism.