A few days ago in Brooklyn, a Jew was violently attacked by a man who allegedly made antisemitic remarks, including a comment about “Free Palestine.” A similar attack took place days earlier, when a Jew was attacked while walking with children. And, according to police, a few days before that act of violence, another Jew was attacked by a man who made antisemitic remarks.
What does it say about our world when hardly a day goes by without yet another violent attack on a Jew? And what does it say about society when these incidents are downplayed by the media, the legal system, and our elected officials?
It’s not enough that we face systemic Jew-hatred at work, on campus, and in society at large. The Jewish community is under attack like never before, and hate crimes are at an all-time high. But apart from some tepid statements from a handful of elected officials, there is no action. In the most recent five-year period for which data is available, only 15% of the cases charged as hate crimes in New York City actually resulted in conviction on those charges.
Ignoring the problem isn’t a solution. All it does is trivialize the pain and shared experience of the Jewish community. Worse still, the lack of consequences for Jew-hatred inspires more attacks, and creates a cycle of destructive violence targeting the Jewish community.
On Sunday, people will take to the streets to commemorate Nakba Day. As we have seen year after year, these events are not peaceful demonstrations, but rather hate-filled rage-fests that target Jews. Demands to “globalize the intifada” - violent attacks against innocent civilians - and for “resistance by any means” are nothing more than a call for violence against Jews. This naked aggression is simply unacceptable.
Last year, these rallies led to physical violence against Jews in NYC, L.A., and places around the world.
To end Jew-hatred, we need to de-normalize it. We need to make it as unacceptable as every other form of racism and bigotry. We need to stand up for ourselves, for our families, for our neighbors, and for our community.
When we call out Jew-hatred, you need to join us. When we protest these violent attacks, your voice needs to be heard alongside ours, demanding action. When we mobilize for the Jewish community, you - as a member or supporter of the Jewish community - need to join us. Only then will our voices, united as one, be heard.
In California, we want to put together a rally, Stronger Together Against Hate: #EndJewHatred, to come together against a white supremacist group that has been spreading vile Jew-hatred across the country.
In New York, we want to protest the Jew-hatred at the United Nations responsible for indoctrinating generations of children to hate Jews.
And next weekend, on May 22, we are proud to march on Fifth Avenue alongside an #EndJewHatred mobile billboard, sending a powerful and empowering message of unity in the face of the hatred and violence we routinely face.
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