Anti-Semitism in US remained at near-record high in 2018: report

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States remained at near-record high levels in 2018 -- including the deadliest ever attack against American Jews last October and twice as many physical assaults, according to an Anti-Defamation League report published yesterday.

Three days after a gunman killed one person and wounded three on Saturday at the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego, California, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released its annual report on anti-Semitic incidents, as it has since the 1970s.

2017 marked an unprecedented rise in such incidents, with 1,986 cases of harassment, vandalism or anti-Semitic attacks recorded, the organization said.

And in 2018, the figures were not much lower, with 1,879 incidents recorded, the third-highest level since the 1970s.

While incidents of vandalism slightly decreased in 2018 -- 774 against 952 in 2017 -- cases of harassment rose (1,066 incidents against 1,015).

Meanwhile, physical assaults doubled compared with 2017, with 39 incidents resulting in 59 casualties -- including 11 deaths and two injuries from October’s attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.