ADL finds three-fourths of American Jews concerned about antisemitism

• Date: 15 June 2021
• Published date: 15 June 2021
• Author: HADASSAH BRENNER

During and in the aftermath of the fighting, which saw some 4,000 rockets shot into Israel from Gaza and the IDF's retaliatory airstrikes on Hamas targets, Diaspora Jews experienced a significant spike in antisemitism.

According to ADL's survey, 60% of American Jews claimed they "witnessed behavior or comments they deem antisemitic either "online or in-person" following the conflict.

"Around the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza, there was a significant surge of antisemitic incidents in the US and abroad. American Jews are understandably now more concerned about the potential for violence overseas spilling over into antisemitic threats close to home," Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL's CEO said.

Notable attacks in the US included the May 18th assault on Jews dining at a sushi restaurant in Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, as well an incident the prior night recorded by a security camera, in which an Orthodox Jewish man was chased by a caravan of Palestine supporters. In New York, pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Manhattan resulted in physical attacks on Jews and verbal antisemitic slurs.

"The antisemitic attacks we've witnessed in the streets and on social media in the past few weeks are weighing heavily on the American Jewish community," Greenblatt noted.

On social media, antisemitic posts have circulated, many with hashtags of "Hitler was Right" and other references to Jews deserving the Holocaust or behaving like Nazis, oppressing Palestinian people.

Some 70% of those who participated in the poll agreed that...