The Pittsburgh massacre is only the latest, worst instance of rising anti-Semitism. Americans of conscience must now push back.
By Jonathan A. Greenblatt, NYT
Mr. Greenblatt is the chief executive and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Members of the Jewish community and their supporters held a vigil outside the White House for the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
This has been a very difficult 24 hours for the Jewish community — and for America. What started as a normal Sabbath for Jews — a time to be with family and community, celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs, hold baby namings, pray to God — ended with news of the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. This was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history.
While the horror of this massacre is shocking, it is not entirely surprising.
At the Anti-Defamation League, we have been tracking and fighting anti-Semitism for over a century. And while Jews have enjoyed a degree of acceptance and achievement in the United States perhaps unrivaled in our people’s history, recent trends have been alarming.
While the overall trend in anti-Semitic incidents has been a downward one, last year we saw the largest single-year increase since the A.D.L. began this annual audit in 1979 — a 57 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2017. These incidents include high-profile ones such as neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, Va., chanting “Jews will not replace us,” physical assaults, vandalism and attacks on Jewish institutions.
Part of this sharp rise comes from a large increase in anti-Semitic incidents in grade schools and on college campuses, which nearly doubled for the second year in a row. The latest F.B.I. statistics corroborate what our researchers found: a 5 percent increase in reported hate crimes, with more than half of faith-based hate crimes — 53 percent — against Jews.
Feeding this upsurge in hate is the toxic soup of anti-Semitism found online. According to a report that the A.D.L. released just a day before the Pittsburgh attack, far-right extremists and the so-called alt-right have stepped up their efforts on social media to attack and intimidate Jews, and especially Jewish journalists, in the run up to the midterm elections. These radicals engaged in “Twitter bombing” of Jews, barraging our community with an estimated five million highly politicized and anti-Semitic tweets per day.
Social media creates its own realities for individuals, where people feed off the anonymity and tailor what they read and whom they speak with so that it can feel that everyone thinks and talks as you do. As much as this is distorting, it also can be empowering.
Similarly emboldening is when anti-Semitism and hateful rhetoric is elevated or tolerated, either through appropriating the anti-Semites’ rhetoric outright, “dog-whistling” to them, or allowing their hate to go unanswered. And this is what has accelerated over the past few years.
Anti-Semitism is being normalized in public life.
As you read this, there are television ads being run by mainstream political candidates and parties that invoke the specter of the Jewish philanthropist George Soros to instill fear in voters’ hearts. This year, there are a record number of right-wing extremists and bigots running for office. There are those — including the president of the United States — who rail against “globalists” that are ruining the country, a term those on the far-right use as code for Jews.
Earlier this year, a member of Congress, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, invited a Holocaust denier to be his guest at the Capitol to watch the State of the Union. A council member in our nation’s capital, Trayvon White, claimed that the Rothschilds — a legendary Jewish banking family — controlled the weather. Neither of these elected officials was censured or disciplined by their respective bodies.
Over the past few weeks, another member of Congress, Representative Steve King of Iowa, endorsed a neo-Nazi for elected office and met with a far-right, anti-Semitic political party in Austria, and faced no consequences. Earlier this month, Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, called Jews “termites,” and too many leaders — many of whom have dedicated their lives to social justice — excused it, said nothing or continued to embrace him nonetheless.
These incidents seem small, but add them together, nurture them with silence and acquiescence, and what grows is the poisonous weed of anti-Semitism.
This must end.
All Americans — online and in their communities — and all responsible leaders from across our society must step forward and clearly denounce this hate. People of all faiths and ideologies must speak out clearly and forcefully against anti-Semitism, scapegoating and bigotry in our society.
If your candidate is attacking George Soros or the “globalists,” or a member of Congress from your party is embracing Holocaust deniers, you must stand up and tell them to stop.
If your allies in a range of social justice causes either explain away the anti-Semitism of the Nation of Islam by citing the good work they may do or justify demonizing the Jewish state of Israel and its existence, then they need to know that they can no longer be your ally.
If your favorite social media platform continues to refuse to remove anti-Semitic garbage from its site, then vote with your clicks and deactivate your account.
More than 100 years ago, the lynching of a Jewish factory superintendent, Leo Frank, in Marietta, Ga., shocked the Jewish community and the nation. It directly led to the formation of the A.D.L. to fight anti-Semitism.
The Pittsburgh massacre should be a similar shock to us today, waking us up to the anti-Semitism and hate in our midst and reminding us all that the fight against them must be diligently fought at every turn by each and every one of us.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) is the chief executive and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
@ Buzz of the Orient:
Yes I read that too and so disgusting that there are no words for it. It will damage her with her Jewish voters I’m sure, and well deserved. But bad for the Republicans so t’s a toss-up.
Interesting that you’ve been in China for 12 years. My nephew was senior Captain for the major China Airlines for many years. After he stopped flying he was retained to gve lectures and instruct budding pilots for as long as he could stand it. He may be there even yet.
@ Edgar G.:
I moved from Toronto to China 12 years ago, and Youtube is blocked here. However, Ted posted a link to a CNN article that indicated that the fake rabbi did the invocation with blessings of Yeshua, etc. and it should have been clear to Pence that that labelled him as being Messianic, and surely Pence is familiar with Messianic so-called “Jews”. After that Pence invited the fraud up to address the audience, calling him a wonderful representative of the Jewish community. However, he never did arrange for that fraud to be there. It was the Ms. Epstein, who was the candidate who did so, with the explanation that the country needed inclusiveness and togetherness and by combining Christianity and Judaism into one individual it was an attempt to heal the nation. What do you make of that? In my opinion she should be replaced because what she did was outrageously insulting to the family of the Pittsburgh victims, and highly offensive to the whole American Jewish community.
@ Buzz of the Orient:
I saw the interview on a youtube video of the event. I don’t know which one, but there are likely several. Ted agrees that Pence had nothing to do with it, essentially confirming what I’ve said.
@ Buzz of the Orient:
I saw the same thing. The Messianic “rabbi” wasd invited to the event by the person in charge who also invited Pence. Pence without knowing who it was invited the “rabbvit to join in the prayer.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/30/politics/messianic-jewish-rabbi-vice-president-pence/index.html
@ Edgar G.:
Can you give me a link to an unbiased report?
@ Buzz of the Orient:
You could not have read that..Read the report again and if it’s REAL news you’ll see that Pence said he had nothing to do with it, and the organisers were those who
arranged it. actually heard him questioned by a reporter and he emphatically denied tt.
@ Buzz of the Orient:
You could not have read that..Read the report again and if it’s REAL news you’ll see that Pence said he had nothing to do with it and the organisers were those who arranged it.
I just read that Pence had a Messianic Jews for Jesus so-called “rabbi” address a crowd Pence was speaking to in order to comment on the Pittsburgh shooting. Some may call that chutzpah, but I call it ignorance and if in the circumstances any REAL Jews still respect Pence they are fools and sheep.
@ Michael S:
Do you really believe that sort of Science Fiction Fantasy…….? No, you’re just kidding me…It reminds me of Al Gore…..
@ Edgar G.:
I wish the US Jews well, and would be happy to see them abandon the Democratic Party for something better.
Politically, this would probably have no practical impact. As cartoonist Scott Adams said, “Trump will probably be the last human president”. After he completes his tenure, actual decisions — and mind-control of US and other voters — will be completely taken over by AI; and the flesh-and-blood sitting in the White House will be nothing but a puppet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_dwx7p8eCc
I am disgusted with leftist Jews accusing the president of instigating anti-Semites or even being an anti-Semite himself. Trump is in NO WAY an anti-Semite. He is the furthest thing from being an anti-Semite. The charge is a vicious, ugly lie, and by that accusation, the left is sowing discord even as they point the finger at Trump and GOPers. These are classic Alinsky tactics being played out. I said the other day that the left has been pushing Jewish/Zionist/Israel conspiracy theories and ugly lies at least since 9/11. The media is also guilty of spreading hideous lies defaming Israel. The college campuses have been a hotbed of anti-Semitic activity, putting campus Jews in danger. The audacity for the left to now blame Trump for provoking an anti-Semitic killer is beyond belief.
@ Russell:
I don’t have to see t I already read it but it’s very evident that Jews should have left the Dem Party many years ago already…as soon as Roosevelt refused to allow the SS St. Louis to dock. And that was in 1939. But Jews were still ghetto-ised and led by self appointed “Messiahs” who thought more of their own comfort in the US than of Jews being sent back to be slaughtered. They should have massed in the streets for as many days, weeks, months it needed. It’s tragic that they have clung to ther Jew Hating Party. Without the Jewish money t would fold.
And what has been happening since, should only have reinforced a walk away from those mamzerim, who wanted only their votes and money.
@ Russell:
I have pointed out those very things on the social media site I frequent, and have been called an Islamophobe and a racist but I will not relent – the day will come when the moderate liberals will wake up to recognize what those extremists are doing to their country.
@ Edgar G.:
The Jews should stop supporting the democrats and “walk away” for one very good reason. The Media are Fake News and fueling anti-semitism continuously. Please see my other comment.
Let us not forget the Main Stream Media in most western countries, side with Hamas and condemn the Jews in Israel when they defend their own citizens by retaliating to rocket attacks, fire-kites, car ram attacks, knife attacks etc. This is the same media that spins-to-the-negative every good thing that Trump does to defend the American people and make the USA a better place. They lie, falsely accuse, hide the facts, protect the evil Soros and never cite the many criminal activities of the Clintons with their fake foundation money laundering outfit. Those that only see Main Stream Media are deceived into hating Jews and Republicans, harassing them, riotous behaviour and now unbridled anti-semitism (because if you are a leftist or hate Trump its OK to attack those that disagree with you) and no doubt this continuous media deluge of hatred had a great influence on this madman who killed 11 decent and innocent people for just being Jewish. Yet they, the MSM, even spin this tragedy and try to blame Trump for division whilst they refuse to accept that they lost a legal election and have been the most bitter, evil and divisive element in the USA for two years now.
“Inside, he yelled, “Everybody die, motherfuckers,” as he proceeded up and down the aisle and shot at people in the pews.[6][7] Police found 15 empty magazines capable of holding 30 rounds each.[8][9][10] According to investigators, the shooting was captured on a camera set up at the back of the church to record regular services for uploading online. The footage shows Kelley methodically shooting the victims, pausing only to reload his rifle…
” Investigators said the shooting was not motivated by racism or prejudice against religion, but by a dispute with Kelley’s mother-in-law.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutherland_Springs_church_shooting
When Jews are killed, it’s “Antisemitism.” When Christians are killed, it’s the fault of the mother-in-law (who wasn’t even in the church).
The killer was a militant atheist, who hated Christians.
@ Buzz of the Orient:
I basically said that, above, but you said it much better. You included points that hadn’t occurred to me when writing.
Of course antisemitism is going to increase when the mainstream media refuse to publish articles about Muslim atrocities against Jews such as in Europe or England or Scandinavia, and exhibit unbelievable anti-Israel bias, for example, will publish a lead story with a headline like “5 GAZANS KILLED AT ISRAEL’S BORDER FENCE” and not until you reach the 3rd or 4th paragraph does the report grudgingly say that 4 of the protesters had broken through the fence and were attacking the IDF soldiers, and the 5th died when a grenade he was going to throw blew up prematurely in his hand.
The first thing I knew about the Pittsburgh massacre was when I read the Yahoo News report about it. The first reader comment posted after the article was:
“It’s a good start.” I could not read any further. There is your typical anti-Semite, hiding behind a pseudonym.
@ Edgar G.:
I see Israel-bashing being more prevalent. Latent anti-Semites are coming out of the closet now that they can express their antisemitism by criticizing Israel, its Likud government, and Netanyahu. They feel its safe not only because of the progressive attitude towards Israel, the increasing openness of antisemitism, but because of the model of the United Nations demonizing of Israel, and they use that as a way to express their Jew-hatred. I have fielded comments that AIPAC is Likud-controlled, and that is an example of what I mean.
@ Abdul Ameer:
Perhaps not always, but certainly since Greenblatt took over leadership of the ADL.
@ Hugo Schmidt-Fischer:
Hear hear!!! Greenblatt’s takeover of the ADL has changed it into a liberal poodle.
Chit Chat is closed, so I am posting about a video I saw on this site today, I saw a huge march taking place in Washington D.C. called the “Walk Away” which I’d never heard of before…There were thousands stretching for miles, all very up-beat although it was very cold, with rain. They were mostly former Democrats it seems, “walking away| out of disgust, and rebellion against the hate and fakery of the “Party”….and going to vote Republican………… Whooo……..!!. A brilliant-if simple-concept.
I watched it, and several videos succeeding it, including the video of the founder, which was made just a few months ago when it all started How will the Jews so attached to the Dems react to this…Will it help them to see straight …..they’ll struggle hard against t ‘m sure.
@ Hugo Schmidt-Fischer:
I think the increase as well as being spearheaded by the Muslim influx, is encouraged by it and the often neglect of it’s pernicious influence on others, causing the many Goysher Anti-Semites, who had been simmering in politically correct semi-darkness, to become emboldened to emerge into the open. For them Jew Hate is becoming acceptable…..again..
Pointng a fnger at President Trump s just the Goebbels tactic revisited…All the Jew hating Nazi types use it. It was successful originally and has proven itself countless times, when the headlines blare false accusations, and the retractions-if any- are hdden on page 15 in a tint couple of lines.
@ Hugo Schmidt-Fischer:
Anti-Semitism has been on the rise tracing back to the mohammed al dura hoax and really ratcheting up after 9/11. The vast majority of the rhetoric has been coming from the left as well as from muslims. The left’s anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic hate is indistinguishable from neo-nazis. For the left to point the finger at President Trump for the synagogue massacre after the anti-Semitism they have been promoting for years, is outrageous. Furthermore the shooter was against Trump precisely because Trump supports Jews and Israel
The ADL has always given Islamic antisemitism a pass. They never mention it, yet Islamic antisemitism is far and away the greatest source of antisemitism in the world today. The ADL is much more concerned about the phony phenomenon of “Islamophobia” and protecting Islam from criticism than it is about Islamic antisemitism which is taught and preached in every mosque and Moslem school because Islamic antisemitism is part and parcel of the Koran, Muhammad’s sacred sayings and standard sharia law.
“Part of this sharp rise comes from a large increase in anti-Semitic incidents in grade schools and on college campuses, which nearly doubled for the second year”
ADL has become the Pravda organ of the Democrat party. Their recent claim Antisemitic harassment doubled within 14 days of Trump’s assuming presidency is simply not credible.
ADL tells us during Obama’s tenure there were 0,86 incidences daily, and exactly two weeks afterwards, on a specific date, there were 2 incidences in that day. So here is your proof harassment doubled during Trump’s tenure.
Are we to believe this kind of lying with statistics seriously?
Here’s what happened. Agreed, Antisemitism has been on the rise. As a direct consequence of the admittance of increasing numbers of Muslim immigrants into the US.
Furthermore, it is no secret, that the Democrat party has become more and more hostile to the Israeli cause, and as a direct result, Jews are accosted in the US, more than they were used to in the past.
Moreover, liberal Jews themselves reject their heritage, and don’t show the same solidarity as their parents used to bring up. Overall, within establishment elites, the position of Jews who stand up for their identity, has weakened.
Now to the increase of numbers of Antisemitic incidents.
Chalk up most of the increases to openly and unchecked hostile attacks at Universities and Colleges. Liberal faculty, administrators, counsellors, professors, students, all picking on Jewish and Israeli students. ADL won’t tell you, but that’s where the growth comes from.