Number of Anti-semitic Incidents Increased During First Month of War

At least 52 anti-Semitic incidents linked to the Persian Gulf crisis were committed nationwide during the first month of the war, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith has reported.

They amounted to about half of all anti-Semitic acts reported to ADL from Jan. 16 through Feb. 14. By contrast, only six politically linked incidents were reported during the two weeks prior to the start of the war, according to Alan Schwartz, ADL’s director of research.

But the total for the period is not very different from a stretch of several months in 1988, when over 100 incidents related to the Palestinian intifada were documented by ADL.

And the overall number of anti-Semitic incidents is not substantially different than the usual number reported for any four-week period in this country. The average number is about 150.

The incidents are troubling, though, because “the perpetrators of these acts have exploited a political issue to express their hatred of Jews, and have clearly crossed the boundary of legitimate political expression,” ADL National Director Abraham Foxman said in a statement.

At least 20 Jewish organizations received phone or mail threats. One California country club frequented by Jews received a phone threat that said, “Kill every Jew” on behalf of “Iraqi people,” ADL officials said.

Fifteen of the 52 incidents cited consisted of hate mailings to the New York UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, in response to newspaper advertisements it placed soliciting contributions for Israel.

The mailings included swastikas and statements saying “Death to Jews,” and “Keep checking for those letter bombs.”

Of the 52 incidents, 18 occurred in New York, seven in Ohio, five in New Jersey, four in New Mexico, three each in California, Illinois and Washington state, two each in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and one each in Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Nevada and Colorado.