US saw 80% increase in antisemitic acts during recent Israel/Hamas war

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A security organization has reported that there was an 80% increase in antisemitic incidents in the US during this month’s 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, the Times of Israel reports. The Secure Community Network, which advises Jewish communities on security issues, says one reason for the spike in the number of incidents it recorded was disinformation spread on social media.

In a statement Tuesday, Secure Community Network CEO Michael Masters said the incidents included: “Acts of vandalism from Oregon to Virginia, synagogue desecrations from Illinois to Arizona, reports of people having bottles thrown at them, children’s playgrounds being daubed with swastikas in New York and Tennessee.”

Confirming his company recorded a “clear rise” in calls to attack Jews, and a corresponding increase of antisemitism on social media during the fighting which began on May 10, Masters noted: “There may be foreign actors spreading information and disinformation, often tied to antisemitic tropes.” For example, Masters said, the circulating hashtag #COVID1948 (which links the founding of the state of Israel to the global pandemic) was apparently started in Iran.

Indeed, the Network Contagion Research Institute, which tracks disinformation on social media, recorded a sudden huge increase in use of the #COVID1948 on May 12, the Times of Israel reports. The NCRI also recorded large increases in the use of phrases like “Hitler was right,” “Zionazi” and “Kill all Jews.”

“We’ve seen misinformation and disinformation from a number of actors overseas over the last years and it will not be surprising if some of those actors are related to the current conflict,” Masters added.

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