Anti-Semitic hate crimes at highest level in 4 decades
TAMPA, Fla. - A new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows anti-Semitic crimes and attacks surged across the nation and in Florhttps://www.fox13news.com/tag/us/flida.
ADL Florida’s Regional Director Sarah Emmons said Thursday the anti-hate group recently published a report on anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism, and assault, recording over 2,700 incidents in 2021. That’s a 34 percent increase over 2020, an all-time high since the ADL started tracking in 1979. Florida’s number of incidents rose even more.
"So this year, we had a 50% increase from 127 to 190 incidents happening in 2021. That's coming off of a 40% increase the year before. So, in Florida, we're seeing this tremendous increase in hateful incidents against the Jewish community, and we're incredibly concerned," said Emmons.
Anti-hate leaders say it’s become normal to hear hate now, so more people are not holding back how they feel. In Tampa Bay over the last year, incidents include anti-Semitic flyers in Sarasota and vandalism at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Pete.
Across the state, one of the most concerning things for me is the number of incidents we're hearing about coming from schools where Jewish children are targeted, middle school children targeted by their peers," said Emmons.
The rising incidents show a growing intolerance, and that’s concerning for Jewish community members in Tampa like Jonathan Ellis.
RELATED 'Hateful': Anti-Semitic flyers found outside hundreds of South Florida homes
"Anti-Semitism is a form of racism. It’s no different from any other form of racism and sometimes not to get the same attention," said Ellis, chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council. "You see it on the right. It’s easy when you look at something that happened in Charlottesville, but you also see it on the left. At the same time you see it in issues where you’re equating actions by the state of Israel becomes violence against Jewish communities within the country."
The ADL said what you do when you see hate crimes or hear hate speech is key.
"One of the main things I would love for people to take away is that we all play a role in calling out hatred in our communities. Whether that hatred is against the Jewish community or other marginalized groups, we all play a role," said Emmons.
The ADL said none of the anti-Semitic assaults tracked last year were deadly. The anti-hate organization said some extremist groups are behind the flyers and a few other incidents in Florida.