Global Antisemitism News Roundup, December 2022

PRESIDENT CONDEMNS ANTISEMITISM AT HANUKKAH RECEPTION IN THE WHITE HOUSE

"Silence is complicity. We must not remain silent. And I made no bones about it from the very beginning: I will not be silent. America will not be silent." President Joe Biden made these remarks in a speech before guests assembled in the White House's Entrance Hall for a Hanukkah holiday reception on December 19. The reception came amid growing fears about antisemitism in the United States. Earlier in December, the Anti-Defamation League reported that antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions jumped 61% from 2020 to 2021 with similar numbers likely to be reported for 2022 (see “ADL reports” below).

LEADING BRAZILIAN ECONOMIST DERIDES JEWISH COLLEAGUE WITH ANTISEMITIC TROPES

Jewish groups in Brazil demanded a retraction after a prominent economist questioned the loyalty of Jewish economist Ilan Goldfajn during a late December interview streamed by a widely viewed Brazilian news organization. Goldfajn was recently elected president of the Inter-American Development Bank, which promotes economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr., a former executive director of the International Monetary Fund, said during the interview on Jornal GGN that Goldfajn is hostile to the government of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and included his Jewish background as one of the reasons. Batista’s argument invoked multiple antisemitic tropes about Jewish power and dual loyalty.

CHURCHES URGED TO ACT AGAINST ANTISEMITISM

A group of educators dedicated to solidarity between Christians and Jews is urging churches to take action against the growing prevalence of antisemitism in the United States — and to reflect on how their own practices may be fueling hatred against Jews. “We implore all churches to redouble their efforts to denounce antisemitism publicly as antithetical to the very essence of Christianity itself,” the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations, which represents about 30 institutions working on interreligious understanding, said in a public statement. The statement, issued in mid-December during Advent, the season of preparation ahead of Christmas, opens by declaring that “the United States is facing the greatest crisis of public antisemitism in a century.”

ADL REPORTS ON RECENT THREATS TO JEWISH INSTITUTIONS

Incidents of antisemitism remain at historic levels in the United States. In fact, antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions jumped 61 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to ADL’s 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.

Fears about antisemitism have been on the rise since a mass shooter claimed 11 lives at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. In the intervening four years, a range of Jewish houses of worship, homes and businesses have been targeted by violent antisemitic attacks, and other Jewish institutions have been subjected to threats and harassment, despite not being physically attacked. Since June 2022, at least 121 antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions have been reported to ADL

DOUG EMHOFF ADDRESSES 'RAPID RISE' IN ANTISEMITISM WITH WHITE HOUSE ROUNDTABLE

Doug Emhoff, Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hosted a roundtable on antisemitism at the White House on December 7, saying he was compelled to use his "microphone" to address the issue.

"There's an epidemic of hate facing our country," he said, kicking off his remarks. "We're seeing a rapid rise in antisemitic rhetoric and acts. Let me be clear: Words matter. People are no longer saying the quiet parts out loud. They are literally screaming them."

The roundtable, which was attended by Jewish leaders, dignitaries and advocates, was organized amid high-profile antisemitic controversies including former president Donald Trump; Kyrie Irving, a star basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets; and Ye, the rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West.

Police in some parts of the country have also noted increasing violence against Jews.

125% INCREASE IN NYC ANTISEMITIC HATE CRIMES IN NOVEMBER - NYPD

Antisemitic hate crimes across New York City's five boroughs more than doubled last month from a year ago, New York Police Department (NYPD) data revealed on December 5. The rise unfolded against a backdrop of high-profile figures making headlines for remarks targeting Jews. There were 45 hate crimes motivated by antisemitism in November versus 20 in November 2021, according to the NYPD data.

The 125% rise came the same month the artist formerly known as Kanye West unleashed a slew of antisemitic and pro-Hitler comments online and in interviews in recent weeks, including a threat to go “death con 3” on the Jews.

UN VOTES TO MARK ‘NAKBA DAY’ - ISRAEL’S ESTABLISHMENT AS CATASTROPHE

The UN General Assembly voted November 30 in favor of holding a commemorative event in honor of the 75th “Nakba Day,” the Palestinian name for Israel’s establishment, which translates to “catastrophe.”

The vote was 90-30, with 47 abstentions. The United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom were among those who opposed the move. Most of the European Union also rejected the motion, save for Cyprus which supported the measure.

Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan tweeted that the UN in "passing such an extreme and baseless resolution, the UN is only helping to perpetuate the conflict."

Russ ResnikJanuary 2, 2023