The number of anti -Semitic incidents reported in the county of San Diego – in particular on university campuses in the region – continued to increase in the past year, according to a report published this month by the anti -DIEGO anti -division league.
The total number of reported incidents of anti -Semitism in the County of San Diego increased by 28%, from 108 in 2023 to 139 in 2024, the report said. Incidents on local and university campuses – where the war between Israel and Hamas was a flash point for the debate – also increased from 12 reports in 2023 to 27 in 2024, according to ADL.
“(The audit) really reflects the transformation of the American Jewish experience … and the sustained nature of growth reflects anti -Semitism is normalized in American life,” said Matt Brown, West Director of the ADL of the response to incidents and law enforcement initiatives.
The officials said on Tuesday during a presentation that the increase in local incidents is a reflection of a national trend resulting from the domestic response to the war between Israel and Hamas – that the American government and others labeled a terrorist organization – since it started on October 7, 2023.
Nationally, the number of anti -Semitic incidents reported increased from 8,873 in 2023 to 9,354 in 2024 – the largest number of incidents recorded since the ADL began to carry out annual audits in 1979.
Adl San Diego’s regional director, Fabienne Perlov said that the data collection followed a specific methodology which included acts of harassment, vandalism and non -criminal aggression that have been reported by individuals, police and / or media.
Perlov noted that because criticism of the demonstrations of Israel and anti-Israeli is not intrinsically anti-Semitic, many of these types of incidents were not included in the audit. But when manifestations or demonstrations have gone through an anti-Semitic expression, these cases have been analyzed and counted in the data, she said.
“In most cases, it’s simple, like someone who uses an anti-Jewish insult or pulling a swastika on a synagogue or a Jewish institution,” said Brown. “But sometimes, it’s more complex … especially when we are dealing with white supremacy or anti -Zionism.”
ADL reported that an assault, two cases of vandalism and 24 harassment incidents associated with anti -Semitism have been reported on school campuses – an increase in two vandalism incidents and a case of harassment reported in 2022. The circumstances surrounding these reports have not been disclosed.
Perlov added that the increase in hate levels perceived towards the local Jewish population had left many members of the community in fear.
“We cannot let anti -Semitism define ourselves,” said Perlov. “We are very resilient and I see a lot of Jewish pride represented in our community.”
Last week, ADL San Diego announced that it had joined the Jewish Federation of San Diego and about a dozen other local Jewish organizations to launch the best community coalition to fight locally on anti -Semitism.
The independent community initiative brings together local Jewish leaders “to coordinate strategies, share best practices, map existing efforts and fill gaps, and respond collectively if necessary to the increase in anti -Semitism,” said officials.
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