February 12, 2021
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Google's YouTube is still recommending extremist and white supremacist videos to viewers already susceptible to racial hatred, a new report from ADL found. Iranian schools are teaching antisemitism, hatred and conspiratorial material in their textbooks, according to a comprehensive analysis by ADL. Police in Spokane, WA are looking for the person who painted swastikas on the Temple Beth Shalom building and a Holocaust memorial.
Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.
1) YouTube Continues to Push Dangerous Videos to Users Susceptible to Extremism, White Supremacy, ADL Finds
“One in 10 study participants viewed at least one video from an extremist channel and 2 in 10 viewed at least one video from an ‘alternative’ channel, according to the study, which examined the viewing habits of 915 respondents. The study's authors defined extremist and alternative by drawing from published research on online radicalization.” USA Today: LEARN MORE
+ READ: Exposure to Alternative & Extremist Content on YouTube
+ MORE: ADL Researchers Find Marked Decrease in QAnon Conspiracies Following Twitter Ban
2) ADL: Iranian Textbooks More Antisemitic Than Ever
“The study was published on the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 revolution that saw the rise of the current autocratic, conservative Islamic regime which has long threatened to destroy Israel and which is now battling US sanctions imposed to curb its nuclear activity.” The Times of Israel: FULL STORY
+ READ: Incitement -- Antisemitism and Violence in Iran’s Current State Textbooks
3) Washington Synagogue, Holocaust Memorial Vandalized with Swastikas
“The vandalism appears to have been perpetrated by a single culprit, with Temple Beth Shalom's security cameras having caught the masked culprit in the act, according to The Spokesman-Review citing Spokane police, who are investigating the incident as a hate crime.” The Jerusalem Post: READ MORE
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- We strongly support this initiative from @AlamedaCountyDA to establish a response unit to #hate & violence targeting the Asian community…
- Last week I testified before Congress on the immediate threat posed by the rise in domestic extremism & laid out our new PROTECT plan that can help tackle this problem head-on…
- While the surge of right-wing extremism in the military has been investigated, "unfortunately, the issue has not been addressed systematically or comprehensively…
IN THE COMMUNITY
- Educators work against bigotry and racism in schools (ABC Detroit – Mical Nodel interviewed)
- Report: Large Number Of Southern Californians Searched Online For Conspiracy Theories, Armed Groups Ahead Of 2020 Election (CBS Los Angeles)
- SLO reacts after Jewish fraternity vandalized (Santa Barbara News-Press)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- Domestic Terror, Long the Law's Blind Spot, Allowed Capitol Attack (Newsweek)
- More Rioters Blame Trump in Legal Defense (CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer – Greg Ehrie interviewed)
- American Jewish Groups Slam ICC Decision on Israel as ‘Systemic Bias’ (Algemeiner)