U.S. Sees Worrying Rise in Antisemitic Incidents

While several antisemitic remarks made by Kanye West in recent weeks have made headlines around the world, West's latest meltdown is sadly just the very visible culmination of a wider trend. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents are on the rise across the United States. The watchdog based in New York City, recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents last year, the highest number since it started tracking such incidents in 1979.

The organization's annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, found that attacks against Jewish institutions, including Jewish community centers and synagogues, were up by 61 percent last year, incidents at K-12 schools increased 106 percent, and incidents on college campuses rose 21 percent. “When it comes to antisemitic activity in America, you cannot point to any single ideology or belief system, and in many cases, we simply don’t know the motivation,” ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said. “But we do know that Jews are experiencing more antisemitic incidents than we have in this country in at least 40 years, and that’s a deeply troubling indicator of larger societal fissures.”