ADL: Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2020

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Each year, ADL’s (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism tracks incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault in the United States. Since 1979, we have published this information in an annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.

In 2020, ADL tabulated 2,024 reported antisemitic incidents throughout the United States. This is a 4% decrease from the 2,107 incidents recorded in 2019 but is still the third-highest year on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

Of the 2,024 incidents recorded in 2020, 1,242 were cases of harassment, a 10% increase from 1,127 in 2019, and 751 incidents were cases of vandalism, an 18% decrease from 919 in 2019. The 31 incidents of antisemitic assault (a 49% decrease from 61 in 2019), involved 41 victims and no fatalities.

In 2020 there were no assaults resulting in mass casualties or victims perpetrated against the Jewish community. Of the physical assaults against Jewish individuals, the vast majority were perpetrated without the use of a deadly weapon.

Incidents in K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, decreased in 2020. ADL recorded 161 incidents at non-Jewish K-12 schools (down 61% from 411 incidents in 2019), and 128 incidents at colleges and universities (down 32% from 186 in 2019). This is likely due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures and the move to remote learning.

In 2020, there were 327 reported incidents at Jewish institutions such as synagogues, Jewish community centers and Jewish schools, an increase of 40% from 234 in 2019. 264 were incidents of harassment, 61 were incidents of vandalism and three were incidents of assault. Of the 264 incidents of harassment, 114 were “Zoombombings.”

In 2020, ADL recorded 331 antisemitic incidents attributed to known extremist groups or individuals inspired by extremist ideology. This represents 16% of the total number of incidents. White supremacist groups were responsible for 277 antisemitic propaganda distributions. Other extremist activity included incidents instigated by the Goyim Defense League, a loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism. Additionally, ADL was aware of five Zoombombing incidents perpetrated by known extremists including Andrew Aurenheimer, AKA “weev,” who is a known white supremacist and hacker with a history of exploiting technology in order to gain attention.

178 antisemitic incidents in 2020 involved references to Israel or Zionism, compared to 175 antisemitic incidents in 2019. Of the 178 incidents in 2020, 38 took the form of white supremacist groups’ propaganda efforts, which attempt to foment anti-Israel and antisemitic beliefs. Most of the remaining incidents were expressions of anti-Israel animus that incorporated antisemitic imagery or harassment and demonization of Jewish students for their connection — real or assumed — to Israel.

Month-by-month comparisons indicate that the COVID-19 lockdown measures had two major impacts on antisemitic incidents in 2020.

In January and February, antisemitic incidents in schools, colleges and universities were reported at significantly higher levels than they were during the same period in 2019. Those numbers dropped precipitously as educational institutions across the nation switched to remote learning.
The other impact was on the nature of incidents, particularly those targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions in the form of “Zoombombings.”



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