High number of anti-semitic incidents in NY in 2009

The number of anti-Semitic incidents have remained high in New York over 2009 , according to a recently published report by the Anti-Defamation League.

“Physical assaults against Jews, a thwarted synagogue bomb plot, and the arrest of a Brooklyn livery driver who distributed 'Kill Jews' fliers are reminders that Jews in New York continue to be targeted by anti-Semitic violence and harassment,” said Ron Meier, the Anti-Defamation League's New York Regional Director. “Constant vigilance and education is a must.”

New York had 209 incidents in 2009, the second largest number among states, after California. In 2008, 207 incidents were recorded. The data was compiled from official crime statistics, as well as information evaluated by the ADL. Incidents include not only crimes, but also non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, which include distribution of hate literature, threats and slurs.

In the report, the ADL documented acts such as a playground attack on an 11-year-old Jewish girl in a public playground by a gang of African-American teens, and a man wearing a yarmulke struck by a thrown brick. Both attacks took place in Brooklyn, which counted 51 anti-Semitic incidents for 2009, the largest number in the metropolitan area.  Nassau County had 47 such incidents; Queens had 17, and Manhattan had 49.

“Overall, New York provides a very good environment for Jews,” said Jeffrey M. Parker, ADL's New York Regional Chair. “Yet there are still instances of Jews being attacked simply because they are Jewish. Even one such incident is one too many and has a ripple effect on the community.”

A special section of the report singles out the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a small family-run group based in Topeka, Kansas. Best known for its incendiary anti-gay protests, the group paid a visit to New York City in June 2009, standing outside local synagogues and yeshivas with signs that accused Jews of murdering Jesus.

The ADL reports that alongside protests, the renegade church also sent numerous faxes and e-mails with anti-Semitic and anti-gay messages to local Jewish institutions and individuals.

While the ADL report did not devote a similar section to leftist and Muslim anti-Semitism, spokeswoman Myrna Shinbaum said that the organization is monitoring a number of local extremist groups, including the Queens-based Islamic Thinkers Society, and the Revolution Muslim website, the latter of which achieved national attention when it threatened the creators of the South Park television show.

The website’s previous administrator was Yousef al-Khattab, a Jewish convert to Islam, who relocated to Morocco last December. Though he no longer runs the website, on his personal blog, the former Queens resident expressed support in June for Hamas as “the best example of how to establish an Islamic State in our times.”

“He lists ways Jews could be hurt, including by burning ‘their flammable sukkos while they sleep’ and throwing ‘liquid drain cleaner in their faces,’” said Shinbaum.

Shinbaum said that the ADL also monitors anti-Israel protests, recording signs that carry a message beyond mere criticism of Israeli policy. In a January 3, 2009 rally in Times Square, the ADL documented signs describing Israel as a “Fourth Reich,” perpetrating its own holocaust, and chants recalling Khaybar, a battle mentioned in the Koran where Muhammad ordered the slaughter of a defeated Arab Jewish community.

Shinbaum said that New York faces a growing threat of Muslim extremism, which is a combination of “radical interpretations of Islam,” and a hatred for Jews.