Scott Fights to Curb Anti-Semitic Incidents Across the Nation

WASHINGTON—This week, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released their annual 2018 Audit of Anti-Semitic incidents. In the report are policy recommendations, including Senator Tim Scott’s (R-SC) Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, to help curb the rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the country.

“The ongoing surge in anti-Semitic incidents across the country must be met with swift and unwavering condemnation. This violence is real, it is intensifying, and it has no place in our nation. Hate has no political affiliation and I am grateful my Anti-Semitism Awareness Act has the backing of the Anti-Defamation League as well as numerous other advocates,” said Senator Scott.

Click here to read more about the Scott-Casey Anti-Semitism Awareness Act.

According to the ADL, “In a year marked by the white supremacist shooting spree at a Pittsburgh synagogue, which claimed 11 lives, and punctuated by a dramatic surge in white supremacist propaganda activity nationwide, ADL’s Audit identified 59 people who were victims of anti-Semitic assaults in 2018, up from 21 in 2017. While the overall number of incidents represents a 5 percent decline from 1,986 incidents reported in 2017, the number of incidents last year remained at near-historic levels – 48 percent higher than the total for 2016 and 99 percent higher than in 2015.”

ADL’s Audit classifies all incidents into three categories: assault, harassment and vandalism. Of the total incidents reported in 2018:

• Assaults: 39 incidents, marking an increase of 105 percent from the 19 incidents reported in 2017. Those incidents affected 59 victims, up from 21 in 2017, and include the 11 fatalities and two injured congregants in Pittsburgh.
• Harassment: 1,066 incidents of anti-Semitic harassment were reported to ADL last year, a 5 percent increase from 1,015 in 2017, and a 48 percent increase from 721 in 2016.
• Vandalism: 774 incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism were recorded in 2018, down 19 percent from 952 in 2017, but up 52 percent from 510 in 2016.

Click here to read the full ADL annual 2018 Audit of Anti-Semitic incidents report.

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