Antisemitism and far-right nationalism are on the rise around the world, including in the United States. Some of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 openly conveyed antisemitic images and sentiments.
Conspiracy theories about the Jewish people run rampant online, going so far as to assign blame for the spread of coronavirus.
According to a 2020 report from the American Jewish Committee, 88% of Jews considered antisemitism a problem today in the U.S., 37% had been personally victimized by antisemitism within the past five years.
The FBI's latest Hate Crimes Statistics report found that 60.2% of religious bias hate crimes targeted Jews in 2019. As many as six antisemitic incidents occurred every day in that year, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
What's being done to combat hate-based rhetoric online and religiously biased crime? What's to blame for the perpetuation of harmful Jewish stereotypes and misinformation?
Jan. 25-29 is Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week. How do we contextualize the modern-day relevance of this crucial history? How can individuals and communities help curb the spread of antisemitism?
Guests:
- Alex Newhouse, digital research lead for the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies
- Holly Huffnagle, U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism with the American Jewish Committee
- Nammie Ichilov, interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio and director of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
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*This interview was recorded on Wednesday, January 27.