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World
Swastika A Marker
Anti-Semitic incidents on decrease in U.S.
A
nti-Semitic incidents have
declined in the United States
for the third consecutive year.
Michigan incidents also are down slightly,
according to newly issued statistics from
the Anti-Defamation League.
The swastika continues to be the symbol
of choice.
The ADL's annual "Audit of Anti-Semitic
Incidents;' issued March 5, counted 1,357
incidents of vandalism, harassment and
other acts of hate against Jewish individu-
als, property and community institutions
nationwide in 2007. That represents a 13
percent decline from the 1,554 incidents
reported in 2006.
"We are certainly encouraged that the
total number of anti-Semitic incidents
has declined for three years in a row'," said
Abraham Foxman, the ADL national direc-
tor. "Yet we are still troubled that there are
so many incidents reported, and that these
incidents often involve expressions of anti-
Jewish animus that are ugly and deeply
hurtful to their victims and the communi-
ties where they occur."
As the ADL Michigan Region's Carrie
Waggoner put it, "It is important not to
become complacent:'
Data in the 2007 audit are drawn from
official crime statistics and information
collected by the ADL network of regional
offices, include criminal and non-criminal
activities.
The swastika was predominant in many
national incidents. The Nazi symbol was
present in hundreds of attacks against
buildings, synagogues, cemeteries and pri-
vate homes. In one of the most noteworthy
instances, a massive swastika the size of a
football field was carved into a New Jersey
cornfield.
"Just as the noose became a com-
mon calling card for racists in 2007, the
swastika was the emblem of choice for
anti-Semites;' Foxman said. "It is a symbol
that is instantly recognizable and whose
meaning and intent is explicitly clear. For
Jews, especially survivors of the Holocaust
and their families, the swastika is a ter-
rifying reminder of the consequences of
unchecked hate and the resilience of anti-
Semitism in its most lethal forme
School, Campus Concerns
In Michigan, anti-Semitic incidents were
down from 14 in 2006 to 11 in 2007. The
the number of incidents decreased to 1,757
incidents. Security programs and preven-
tive countermeasures may be a factor.
STOP U.S. TAX DOLLARS
TO #
ISRAEL:
This banner on a house at Currier and Telegraph in Dearborn Heights was flown for
several weeks in late 2007.
number of incidents in a school or campus
setting remained high — seven of 14 in
2006 and eight of 11 in 2007.
"It is troubling that young people are
continuing to express and face anti-
Semitism. That underscores the need for
continued dialogue and education to com-
bat stereotypes and prejudice',' said Carrie
Waggoner, ADL Michigan Region assistant
director.
Nationally, 197 anti-Semitic acts were
reported at middle and high schools, corn-
pared to the 193 reported in 2006.
Not surprisingly, the states with the
highest numbers of reported incidents
were the states with
the highest con-
centrations of Jews.
New York topped the
list with 351 inci-
dents, up from 284
in 2006, followed
by New Jersey (144
incidents), California
(186), Florida (127),
Massachusetts (95),
Pennsylvania (99)
and Connecticut (49). In these states,
14 percent of all incidents were school
based. These incidents took the form of
swastikas and hate graffiti painted or writ-
ten on desks, walls and other school prop-
erty, name-calling, slurs, mockery, bullying
and assaults, with some directed at teach-
ers, as well as at Jewish students.
Cyber bullying also became an increas-
ing concern in the schools. In an effort to
address the problem, ADL unveiled a new
program to educate students and teachers
about how to confront hateful messages
sent via cell phones, text messaging and
e-mail.
There were 81 anti-Jewish incidents
reported on campuses across the country
in 2007, down from the 88 reported in
2006 (98 incidents were reported in 2005.
ADL Antidote
To counter the rise in seventh-graders
through college students involved in inci-
dents of property destruction, graffiti and
hate speech, the ADL is promoting is A
World of Difference
Institute. It is an
anti-bias education
program that teaches
students, teachers and
administrators how to
deal with bias, preju-
dice and bigotry.
"It can be an anti-
dote to the hatred that
is coming out in these
incidents;' said Betsy
Kellman, ADL Michigan Region director.
"We try to offer this program whenever
an incident is reported in a school. Usually
it is a fee-for-service program, but we try
to make it available for no charge when an
incident is reported to us in a school set-
ting."
Anti-Semitic acts last crested in the U.S.
in 2004, when 1,821 incidents were report-
ed, according to the ADL Audit. In 2005,
As the ADL Michigan
Region's Carrie
Waggoner put it, It
is important not to
become complacent."
Harassment Count
In 2007, there were 43 harassment inci-
dents reported to ADL related to extremist
group activity, compared to 77 in 2006
(down by 44 percent) and 112 in 2005.
Most of the reported incidents of harass-
ment involved anti-Jewish epithets and
occasionally a light assault. In one widely
reported incident, a Jewish man suffered
serious injuries in November when he was
beaten by several assailants in the largely
Orthodox enclave of Lakewood, N.J.
Harassment in the form of leafleting and
distribution of hate propaganda around
neighborhoods and rallies in public areas
were the main source of anti-Semitic inci-
dents by organized hate groups reported in
the Audit.
The decrease was in large part because
of a substantial reduction in the number of
reported incidents of anti-Semitic leaflet-
ing.
"While it is difficult to pinpoint one spe-
cific cause for the decrease in anti-Semitic
leafleting, we do know that anti-Semitic
groups are relying more and more on the
Internet to spread propaganda and share
ideas, and this may be having an impact
as an alternative outlet for anti-Semitic
views;' Foxman said.
The Internet
Hate groups continue to utilize the Internet
to spread their message of hate. Groups
such as the National Socialist Movement
and the Ku Klux Klan actively contribute to
the continued Internet circulation of anti-
Jewish conspiracy charges and theories of
Jewish control of government, finance and
the media.
There are thousands of hate sites on
the Internet. Many include Internet radio
shows and downloadable music and
games with anti-Semitic themes and pro-
paganda.
Extremists continue to exploit social net-
working sites, such as MySpace, Facebook
and You Tube, as well as blogs, using text
messages and videos to propagate anti-
Semitism. The ADL Audit does not count
incidents occurring in cyberspace; such
expressions are extremely difficult to quan-
tify.
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April 3 • 2008
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