May 13, 2021
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated in what has become the heaviest flare-up since the 2014 war, with extremist violence also erupting in Israeli cities with large Arab and Jewish communities. A new poll from Pew finds that most Jews believe antisemitism in America has increased in recent years and said they feel less safe now than they once did. The Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence arm is setting up a dedicated team to focus on domestic terrorism.
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) Fighting Escalates in Israel and Gaza as Hamas Fires Barrage of Rockets at Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
“Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel in a matter of minutes Thursday and Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes. The relentless escalation of hostilities came even as Egyptian negotiators held in-person talks with the two sides, intensifying efforts at mediation.” Associated Press: FULL STORY
+ READ: ADL Statement Regarding Recent Violence and Rocket Attacks in Jerusalem
+ ADL Resource: Some at Anti-Israel Protests Express Antisemitism, Support for Terror
2)New Pew Poll: Most Jews Say Antisemitism is on the Rise
“Over the past 12 months, the survey found, 51% of Jews have experienced antisemitism — either by seeing anti-Jewish graffiti, being harassed online, being physically attacked or through another form of discrimination.” JTA: READ MORE
+ READ: ADL Statement on Findings of Latest Pew Center Poll on Jewish Americans and Antisemitism
3) DHS Starts Up Domestic Terror Intelligence Team
“The Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence arm is setting up a dedicated team to focus on domestic terrorism, two DHS officials told POLITICO. The team will have several full-time personnel. DHS is also renaming and refocusing a separate office that has drawn criticism for its prior work fighting extremism. The moves come as the department is increasing its focus on domestic terrorism and violent threats.” POLITICO: LEARN MORE
+ READ: PROTECT Plan to Fight Domestic Terrorism
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- In March, a man opened fire at three Atlanta-area spas, killing eight people, including six women of Asian descent. We commend the Fulton County DA’s commitment to justice by filing the first charges under Georgia’s new #hatecrime law. #StopAAPIHate…
- We are alarmed and heartbroken at the violence - including lynchings, rioting and looting – that is being reported in Israeli cities with Jewish and Arab residents. We strongly condemn these acts of hate and extremism…
- Threatening synagogues is not anti-Israel protest – it’s #antisemitism. We appreciate the efforts from German police who took action when that line was crossed…
IN THE COMMUNITY
- Jews in New Jersey experience more hate than Jews in any other region in the U.S. | Opinion (NJ.com – Scott Richman op-ed)
- ‘Hate in the Homeland’ growing, crimes not reported to FBI (Hearst Media – Allison Padilla-Goodman interviewed)
- How vaccine ‘passports’ became a battle cry for COVID-19 conspiracies, ‘anti-vaxx’ forces (Los Angeles Times)