THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL ANTI-SEMITISM REPORT
This week has raised alarm bells in Jewish communities around the world. An explosion in antisemitic violence and rhetoric under the guise of anti-Israel activism has led to the targeting of Jews in the streets of major cities across North American and Europe.
Jewish Americans have been attacked and assaulted by roving groups of anti-Israel agitators in Los Angeles, New York, and Florida. Several American synagogues have been vandalized.
Antisemitic incidents in the UK have increased 600%. Several British Jews have been attacked in the streets by antisemitic gangs, and a car caravan flying Palestinian flags drove through Jewish neighborhoods in London chanting: “F**k Jews, Rape Their Mothers, Rape Their Daughters.”
Dozens of other alarming incidents of incitement and violence have taken place in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Vienna, Toronto, Montreal and elsewhere. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister used antisemitic slurs during a CNN interview, and Turkish President Erdogan was condemned by the US State Department for invoking classical blood libels against Jews, potentially inciting further violence.
Jews around the world are frightened – and the silence and inaction by many civic leaders is deafening.
We See You. We Hear You. We Stand With You
CAM’s weekly global anti-Semitism report highlights 77 new media reports of anti-Semitic incidents: 43 incidents (56%) with Islamist motivations, 14 incidents (18%) from the far-left, 6 incidents (8%) from the far-right, and 14 unidentifiable incidents (18%). We will continue to monitor these developments over the coming days. If you need assistance in responding to an outbreak of antisemitism, please reach out.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPECIAL FEATURE
COMBAT ANTISEMITISM MOVEMENT CALLS ON LEADERS TO TACKLE EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM DURING GAZA CONFLICT
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) called on international, national, and municipal leaders to take action against the alarming spike in antisemitic incidents in which Jews have been targeted both online and on the streets in multiple countries over the past several days. Read Here
THE COMBAT ANTISEMITISM MOVEMENT & AMERICAN SEPHARDI FEDERATION CONDEMN ANTISEMITIC ATTACK TARGETING JEWISH DINERS IN LOS ANGELES
Iranian American Jews enjoying sushi at a restaurant in Beverly Hills were harassed and physically assaulted by anti-Israel protesters. CAM and American Sephardi Federation urge the LAPD and District Attorney’s Office to apprehend and prosecute these antisemitic attackers to the fullest extent of the law and, moreover, condemns those anti-Israel protesters who have targeted and attacked Jews and Jewish communities in Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere around the United States. Read Here
DATABASE OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS WORLDWIDE SINCE OUTBREAK OF ISRAEL-GAZA VIOLENCE
Since May 9th, when Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem, sparking a major escalation of violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, Jewish communities worldwide have faced a relentless wave of antisemitism from pro-Palestinian supporters. These incidents have included physical assault, verbal harassment, vandalism, hate speech, and anti-Israel rhetoric that violated the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, among other transgressions. Read Here
#JUSTICEFORSARAH: AN IN-DEPTH LOOK WITH FRENCH ANTISEMITISM EXPERT MARC KNOBEL AT THE HALIMI MURDER CASE
By CAM
We partnered with French antisemitism expert Marc Knobel to release an in-depth educational guide to the Sarah Halimi murder case and the failures of France’s judicial system in advance of our upcoming virtual event with the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF). “Justice for Sarah Halimi: An International Movement Is Born” will bring together key leaders from around the world in the fight for justice for Sarah Halimi. Read Here
UNITED STATES
PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS VIOLENTLY ATTACK JEWISH DINERS AT LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT
By CAM
Videos show pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Los Angeles violently attacking a group of Jews who were eating at a restaurant. The incident occurred at Sushi Fumi in West Hollywood, as a convoy of vehicles carrying men wearing keffiyehs and waving a large Palestinian flag passed by. The occupants of the vehicles shouted hateful anti-Israel rhetoric, including “F**k the Jews,” shortly before items were thrown at the outdoor tables. The pro-Palestinian supporters then got out of their vehicles and sought out Jews to physically assault. Read Here
‘FRIGHTENING’ FIREWORK ATTACKS TARGET NEW YORK CITY’S HEAVILY JEWISH DIAMOND DISTRICT
By Dovid Efune
Multiple arrests have been made after violent attacks, including with incendiary devices, appeared to target Jews in the Times Square area of New York City. The New York Police Department confirmed that “two commercial fireworks were thrown from a car” and that one person suffered a minor burn. Footage, taken in the heavily Jewish diamond district adjacent to Times Square, shows mobs of pro-Palestinian protesters aggressively shouting antisemitic epithets from passing cars. Read Here
JEWISH MAN BEATEN IN NEW YORK CITY AMID DUELING PROTESTS OVER ISRAEL AND HAMAS, POLICE SAY
By Morgan Winsor
A 23-year-old Jewish man was beaten by a group of people in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday evening, police said. The victim was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and then released. The incident is now being investigated as a hate crime, according to the New York City Police Department. Detectives are searching for multiple suspects in what police described as a “gang assault.” Read Here
PRO-PALESTINIAN VANDALS DEFACE SYNAGOGUE IN SKOKIE, ILLINOIS WITH ‘FREE PALESTINE’ SIGN AND SMASHED WINDOW
By Algemeiner
Police in Illinois are investigating an act of antisemitic vandalism by pro-Palestinian vigilantes on a synagogue in Skokie. In images captured from surveillance video, one man was seen placing a sign saying “Freedom for Palestine” on the door of the Persian Hebrew Congregation. Another figure was seen exiting from a gray Honda Pilot SUV. The person walked up to the building with a stick and smashed a front window, leaving the stick behind, police said. Read Here
NEWSMAX HOST WHO CALLED ISRAEL ‘HOME COUNTRY’ OF AMERICAN JEWS IS TEMPORARILY OFF THE AIR
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ CALLS ISRAEL AN APARTHEID STATE
MIAMI COUPLE OUTRAGED AFTER BUS STOP TAGGED WITH NAZI SYMBOLS
REALITY TV STAR ERICA MENA ON TWITTER: THERE’S ‘SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL’ FOR ‘THESE JEWISH PEOPLE’
WORLD NEWS
United Kingdom
FOUR ARRESTS AFTER CAR CONVOY FILMED YELLING: ‘F*** JEWS, RAPE THEIR DAUGHTERS’
Police have arrested four people after a convoy of at least six cars was filmed driving down Finchley Road, blasting their horns and screaming “F*** the Jews, rape their daughters.” Three individuals could be seen standing up through the sunroofs waving Palestinian flags. The six cars, emblazoned with Palestinian flags on their bonnets and back windows, are seen stopping at traffic lights before driving on in the direction of Golders Green. Read Here
TWO ARRESTED AFTER CHIGWELL RABBI HOSPITALISED IN ‘BRUTAL ASSAULT’
Two men have been arrested over the religiously-aggravated assault of a Chigwell rabbi. Rabbi Rafi Goodwin was taken to King George’s Hospital with cuts to the top of his head and around one eye after being set upon by two individuals around the Limes Estate. It was reported he had been attacked with an unknown item following a verbal altercation. According to Essex police, two men from Ilford aged 18 and 25 were arrested on suspicion of Grievous Bodily Harm with intent. Read Here
DISGRACED FORMER MP CHRIS WILLIAMSON SAYS “ZIONIST TEACHERS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE VIOLATING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS” AND BRANDS ZIONISM “A RACIST IDEOLOGY”
By Campaign Against Antisemitism
Disgraced former MP Chris Williamson tweeted that “Zionist teachers around the country are violating children’s rights” and that Zionism is “a racist ideology.” He went on to say that Zionism “has no place in society – especially in the classroom”, and offered support to any parents whose child “has been affected by Zionist extremism from teachers or headteachers.” Mr Williamson, who was suspended from the Labour Party several times, has been embroiled in controversy over comments about Jews, “Zionists” and antisemitism for a long time. Read Here
‘INTERNATIONAL ZIONISTS DID 9/11’: OVERT ANTISEMITISM ON DISPLAY AT PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMO IN LONDON
At an anti-Israel march in London, several demonstrators revealed their antisemitic intent to a reporter, Elad Simchayoff of Israel’s Channel 12. “We don’t believe in Israel. Israel is not real,” one of them said, after chanting in Arabic, “With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, Al-Aqsa!” Another demonstrator held up a show with an Israeli flag drawn on its bottom, and said, “Step on Israel.” Read Here
ORTHODOX JEWISH MAN SAID ASSAULTED IN LONDON AFTER FLYING ISRAELI FLAG ON CAR
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Police in London arrested a man whom witnesses said broke into the car of an Orthodox Jewish man on Friday and began hitting the driver unprovoked. Passersby detained the suspect until police arrived on the scene in Golders Green, a heavily Jewish part of the British capital. One witness told the newspaper that the car had been targeted because it displayed an Israeli flag. The report did not say whether the driver was injured. Read Here
JEWS TAUNTED AND ISRAELI FLAG DESTROYED AT LONDON PROTEST
LABOUR MPS WARNED NOT TO ‘STOKE TENSION’ ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE AS ANTISEMITISM SURGES
TORY SUSPENDED OVER SHOAH POSTS WITHDRAWS FROM ROLE LEADING LOCAL PARTY
LONDON TO UP POLICE PRESENCE IN JEWISH AREAS AFTER ANTISEMITIC CONVOY
MINISTER: YOUNG JEWS ARE FINDING FRIENDS DON’T UNDERSTAND ANTISEMITISM
SWASTIKA AND OTHER RACIST GRAFFITI DAUBED IN CARDIFF ALLEYWAY
LIVERPOOL MAYOR APPOINTS COUNCILLOR WHOSE ‘HOBBIES INCLUDE BOYCOTTING ISRAEL’
LABOUR GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TO JETTISON IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM
OFFICER WHO SHOUTED ‘FREE PALESTINE’ WHILE POLICING GAZA RALLY IS UNDER INVESTIGATION
ANTISEMITIC MESSAGE ON BRICK LANE BANNER
HUNDREDS OF ART WORKERS URGE BOYCOTT OF ZABLUDOWICZ ART TRUST IN SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE
WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO POSTED PHOTO OF HIS DOG DOING ‘NAZI SALUTE’ IS JAILED
GERMANY
CLASHES WITH POLICE AND ISRAELI TV REPORTER ATTACKED AT PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY IN BERLIN
Violent confrontations broke out between protesters and police, and an Israeli TV reporter was also attacked, at a pro-Palestinian rally in Berlin. Participants waved flags and shouted “Free Palestine.” Antonia Yamin, a journalist reporting for Israeli state TV was heckled and then had to run for cover after someone threw a firecracker that went off near her. Read Here
LEBANESE-BORN MAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNED ATTACK ON GERMAN SYNAGOGUE
German police in the northern city of Bremen arrested a 42-year-old man for a planned attack on a synagogue in the city. “An individual intended to attack the synagogue in Bremen,” states an exclusive report by the German magazine Der Spiegel. According to the report, the suspect had been previously arrested for threatening others, inflicting bodily harm, committing robbery as well as holding a series of narcotics violations. Read Here
CANADA
TWO ARRESTS MADE FOLLOWING RALLY AT TORONTO’S NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE
A veteran of the Israel Defense Forces who was beaten by pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the May 15 rally in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square now says it was a mistake to attend. Video widely shared on social media shows Greg (Zvi) Nisan, 64, of Thornhill, receiving blows from sticks to his upper body and head as he tried to leave the raucous protest. Nisan took himself to hospital, where he received seven staples and seven stitches to close wounds to his head. Read Here
CANADIAN POLICE USE TEAR GAS AS ISRAEL RALLY ATTACKED BY PRO-PALESTINIANS
Canadian police used tear gas following clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters in Montreal, as the worst violence in years raged between the Jewish state and Islamist terrorists. Several hundred demonstrators, draped in Israeli flags, had gathered in a central Montreal square to express solidarity with the Jewish state. Although the protest had begun peacefully, tensions ratcheted up with the arrival of pro-Palestinian demonstrators and clashes soon broke out. Read Here
FRANCE
ANTISEMITIC REMARK IN THE PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATION IN TOULOUSE
By Eli Nahum
At a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Toulouse, one of the demonstrators clarified the true nature of the demonstration. “You know what the word Jewish means? It means something that stinks, so you stink. Long live Palestine, long live all Arabs.” Read Here
PARIS POLICE CLASH WITH PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS AT BANNED RALLY
Police in Paris fired tear gas and aimed water cannons at protesters defying a ban on marching against Israeli attacks on Gaza. They include anti-fascist associations, the citizens’ activist group Attac and the far-left New Anti-Capitalist party. Paris police said they made 44 arrests and that one officer was injured breaking up a gathering of protesters. Read Here
OTHER WORLD NEWS
BELGIUM: SHOCKING SCENES OF HAMAS SYMPATHISERS IN BRUSSELS SHOUTING HATRED AGAINST ISRAEL, JEWS
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted anti-Jewish slogans, burned Israeli flags to the tune of “Allah Akbar” and waved flags of terrorist Hamas group in the streets of Brussels. ‘’Shouts of murderous hatred against my country and my people in the streets of Brussels. And all in the name of “freedom of speech,” tweeted Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Emmanuel Nahshon. Read Here
ARGENTINA: ANTISEMITIC GRAFFITI IN THE ISRAELI ASSOCIATION OF BAHÍA BLANCA
By Eli Nahum
The front of a local Jewish community center in Bahia Blance appeared with antisemitic graffiti and threats against the Jewish community. The graffiti reads: “We will kill you Jewish rats” (“Los vamos a matar ratas judías”). Read Here
THE MIDDLE EAST
US CONDEMNS ERDOĞAN COMMENTS AS ANTISEMITIC
Erdoğan, whose political strength comes from an Islamist base, accused Israel of “terrorism” against the Palestinians and has said recently that “it is in their nature,” Agence France-Presse reported. “They are murderers, to the point that they kill children who are five or six years old. They only are satisfied by sucking their blood,” the Turkish president continued, AFP reported, referencing the antisemitic canard of blood libel. Read Here
CNN CUTS TIES WITH FREELANCER WHO TWEETED PRAISE FOR HITLER
A freelance CNN contributor tweeted praise for Hitler amid the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas. In a since-deleted post, Adeel Raja, a journalist based out of Pakistan, wrote, “the world today needs a Hitler.” Raja has freelanced for CNN since 2013, according to his LinkedIn account. After learning of the post, CNN cut ties with Raja. Read Here
PAKISTAN FM INVOKES ANTISEMITIC SLUR
By CNN
Discussing Israel’s actions in Gaza, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Israel has “deep pockets” and “they control media,” prompting strong pushback from CNN’s Bianna Golodryga. Watch Here
ON CAMPUS
UCL INVESTIGATES DEATH THREATS TO JEWISH STUDENTS
The head of a leading London university has condemned “disturbing reports” of antisemitism, including death threats to Jewish students. The UCL Jewish society (J-Soc) Instagram account had a number of deaths threats and calls for physical violence, as well as Holocaust references. One message included a death threat which is being investigated, while student paper The Tab reported an image sent included a Jewish student photoshopped under a guillotine. Read Here
SWASTIKAS ‘PLACED OUTSIDE OF ENTRANCES TO CAMPUS FACILITIES’ AT RHUL
Posters of Israeli flags with swastikas replacing the Star of David have been found on Royal Holloway campus in the last few days. The swastikas have been placed “on the library terrace” and “outside entrances to campus facilities” following widespread social media turmoil surrounding the current violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Read Here
ANALYSIS & OP-EDS
STUDIES & STATISTICS
ALARM AS 116 ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS REPORTED IN LAST 10 DAYS, A 600 PERCENT RISE
Britain has seen at least 116 reported incidents of antisemitism over the last 10 days – a 600 percent rise. Of 116 incidents, almost all involved language, imagery or behaviour that linked them to the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The rise in hate comes after 19 incidents in the eleven days prior to 8 May, which is a near six-fold increase. Breaking down the antisemitic incidents, the CST outlined that 32 were online, 82 offline, and four of the incidents were reported as violent. Read Here
428 ANTISEMITIC CRIMES REPORTED IN IN GERMANY IN THE FIRST QUARTER
By Deutsche Bundestag
From the beginning of January to the end of March this year, 428 crimes with an antisemitic background were reported in Germany, including six acts of violence. According to the Bundestag report,, a total of 218 suspects have so far been identified for these 428 criminal offenses. According to the submission, the figures quoted are provisional, and “sometimes considerable changes” are possible due to late reports and change reports. Read Here
GOVERNMENT & POLICY
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE CONDEMNS ‘ANTISEMITIC’ REMARKS BY ERDOGAN
Turkey rejected accusations by the United States that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made “antisemitic” remarks in his criticism of Israeli strikes in Gaza. The US on Tuesday criticized Erdogan for his comments over Israeli airstrikes. “The United States strongly condemns President Erdogan’s recent antisemitic comments regarding the Jewish people and finds them reprehensible,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. “We urge President Erdogan and other Turkish leaders to refrain from incendiary remarks, which could incite further violence,” he added. Read Here
GERMANY: ANTISEMITIC PROTESTERS WILL FEEL ‘FULL FORCE’ OF THE LAW
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has threatened a crackdown on antisemitism at pro-Palestinian protests that are being staged in opposition to the latest Middle East crisis. “We will not tolerate the burning of Israeli flags on German soil and attacks on Jewish facilities,” Seehofer said. “Anyone who spreads antisemitic hatred will feel the full force of the law,” the interior minister warned, adding that authorities will do everything to ensure that Jewish people never again live in fear in Germany. Read Here
PM JOHNSON VOWS SUPPORT FOR UK JEWISH COMMUNITY AFTER RISE IN ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government would support Britain’s Jewish community in any way it could after a spike in antisemitic incidents, following the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza. Responding to a question in parliament from Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, Johnson said: “I share his horror at the outbreak of anti-Semitic incidents and the government has conveyed that message loud and clear to those who are responsible for enforcing the law against hate crime. “As a country and as a society … we call this out at every stage. We will not let it take root, we will not allow it to grow and fester.” Read Here
IHRA CHAIR DENOUNCES GLOBAL SURGE OF ANTISEMITISM AMID ISRAEL-GAZA CRISIS
The Greek Chair of the IHRA Presidency, Ambassador Chris Lazaris, issued a statement denouncing the current surge on Jew-hatred, saying, “We strongly condemn the antisemitic violence and hate speech that has taken place in response to the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East… We must unequivocally oppose all attacks targeting Jewish places of worship as well as antisemitic rhetoric, including holding Jews collectively responsible for events in the Middle East. In a world where antisemitism is on the rise, we must stand together and clearly denounce this as an attack on the cornerstones of a free and democratic society.” Read Here
DETERMINED TO PREEMPT ‘ANTISEMITIC HATRED’ ON STREETS OF PARIS, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER BANS PRO-PALESTINIAN MARCH AND RALLY
By Ben Cohen
ANTISEMITISM SURGE DEEPLY DISTURBING – UK COMMUNITIES SECRETARY ROBERT JENRICK
UK HOME SECRETARY PRITI PATEL: WE’LL ENSURE HATE MONGERS FACE THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW
POLICE, POLITICIANS, COMMUNITY LEADERS REASSURE MONTREAL JEWISH COMMUNITY AFTER THREATS
UK PM JOHNSON: LABOUR ANTISEMITISM STANCE ‘ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT RECENT U-TURNS’
CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA CONDEMNS ANTISEMITISM AFTER ALLEGED HATE CRIME
AUSTRIA OUTLAWS HEZBOLLAH, BANS ALL ACTIVITIES LINKED TO THE GROUP
HUMANITY
OVER 130 CELEBS CALL ON INFLUENCERS TO STOP GAZA VIOLENCE MISINFORMATION
As tensions in the Middle East continue after more than a week of escalating violence, more than 130 leaders from the entertainment industry gathered by the organization Creative Community for Peace signed an open letter calling for “peace, balanced discourse and an end to inflammatory one-sided accounts” of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Read Here
ARAB WOMAN RECEIVES LIFE-SAVING KIDNEY FROM JEWISH ISRAELI KILLED IN LOD RIOTS
A 58-year-old Arab Christian woman got a new lease on life this week when she received a kidney transplant from 56-year-old Yigal Yehoshua, who died six days after being hit in the head with a brick during the Lod riots. The transplant was conducted at Hadassah-University Hospital in Ein Kerem, where Randa Aweis of Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood had been undergoing treatment for kidney disease for nine years. Read Here
The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations, across all religions and faiths, united around the goal of ending anti-Semitism in all its forms. Since its launching in February 2019, 320 organizations and 320,000 individuals have joined the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement by signing the campaign’s pledge. The CAM Pledge draws upon the IHRA international definition of anti- Semitism and its list of specific behaviors used to discriminate against the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel.