NEW YORK (AP/1010 WINS) — A Jewish civil rights group says anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S. remained near a record-high level last year, partially fueled by a sharp increase in physical assaults. The Anti-Defamation League released its annual census of attacks on Jewish people and institutions on Tuesday, three days after a gunman killed a woman and wounded a rabbi and two others at a Southern California synagogue.
The New York-based group counted 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, a 5% decrease from 1,986 incidents reported in 2017. The 2017 total was the highest tally ADL counted in more than two decades.
California, New York and New Jersey featured the most incidents.ADL counted 59 victims of anti-Semitic assaults in 2018, up from 21 in 2017. Last year's tally included the 11 people killed and two congregants wounded during a gunman's shooting rampage at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told MSNBC, "And the technology companies and Silicon Valley in general have a particular responsibility to play to ensure that this kind of rhetoric, which previously couldn't see the light of day, stops spreading on their platforms. They literally have been exploited by extremists and it is time for us to interrupt that and end it now."
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