According to a report released this week by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 2019 saw more anti-Semitic incidents in the US than any previous year - since the ADL began tracking these numbers four decades ago. This is an abomination. We are devoting this week’s Action Update to addressing this issue.
The Report
The ADL reported 2,107 anti-Semitic incidents in 2019. This marks a 12% increase in incidents since 2018. Moreover, just five years earlier, the ADL reported 912 incidents. Put simply, in the past five years, anti-Semitism in the US has more than doubled. And worse yet, the level of violence associated with these incidents shocks the conscience.
In 2019, we were forced to witness the attack on the synagogue in Poway, California, a shooting targeting a kosher supermarket in New Jersey, and an attack on a Hanukkah party in New York – just to name a few. And in the preceding year, the American Jewish community suffered their worst attack on record when a gunman killed 11 people and wounded six others at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In fact, a different ADL study recently found that the majority of American Jews have been victims of or witnessed anti-Semitism. It is therefore not surprising that two-thirds of our Jewish neighbors feel they are not as safe today as they were 10 years ago.
What We’re Doing About it
CUFI and the CUFI Action Fund have been focused on combating anti-Semitism since our founding. And with the rapid increase in this bigotry, we have pursued federal policies aimed at stemming the anti-Semitic tide.
We backed, and saw a version signed as an executive order, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Education to use the leading definition of anti-Semitism when investigating allegations of unlawful harassment against Jewish students. Likewise, we support Sen. Chuck Schumer’s effort to exponentially increase the funds administered by FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program aimed at protecting faith based institutions from terrorism – including domestic anti-Semitism.
Finally, just this week we saw the Senate pass the Never Again Education Act. This bill, which passed the House overwhelmingly, is now headed to the President’s desk. And it comes not a moment too soon as the ADL’s report reminds us of the urgency of ensuring educators are supported in their efforts to teach about the Holocaust.
What’s Next
The ADL’s report analyzes incidents from 2019, but we know from news reports that anti-Semitism has seen a significant uptick since spread of the novel coronavirus. Sadly, we expect that next year, when the ADL releases their numbers for 2020, we will once again be shocked and appalled at the level of hatred and bigotry in our own country.
Christians are commanded by God to stand with the children of Israel. Standing up to anti-Semitism is a moral imperative. We will continue our fight until this sinful disgrace is stamped out. We will support efforts to ensure our Jewish neighbors have the protection they need from the government, and we will work diligently to ensure all of America’s children have the education that inoculates one against the world’s oldest hatred.
As Christian Zionists, we feel a Biblical, historical and moral mandate to guarantee the Jewish people are never alone again. We deeply appreciate your joining us in this fight.
Sincerely,
