|
Harassment, Threats
and Assaults
Anti-Semitic acts of harassment, threats or assault against Jewish
individuals or institutions declined from 896 in 1998 to 868 in
1999, a decrease of 3 percent. However, as in previous years, incidents
of this nature constitute the majority of all anti-Semitic activity
included in the Audit.
Anti-Semitic harassment covers a wide range of hostile acts, ranging
from anti Jewish slurs and affronts to physical assault. Fliers
containing anti-Semitic messages or leaflets from virulent anti-Semitic
groups that are left on cars or in mailboxes are considered acts
of harassment, as are anti-Jewish or Holocaust-denying letters-to-the-editor
or advertisements printed in newspapers. In addition, verbal or
written threats directed against individuals or Jewish institutions
(including death threats and bomb threats) account for a portion
of the harassment incidents.
Over the last few years, as the Internet has moved into more and
more homes, libraries and schools, the number of harassing acts
associated with the world of computers has increased. In 1999, several
anti-Semitic and threatening messages were sent through electronic
mail to Internet users. While most of these incidents of harassment
are not criminal in nature, they shed light on another important
form of expression of anti-Semitism which is generally not included
in hate-crimes statistics.
Examples of Harassment,
Threats and Assaults
The following is a representative sampling of anti-Semitic incidents
of harassment, threat and assault in the 10 states reporting the
highest totals of such acts in 1998.
- California (166 incidents) - 8/23/99 - An apartment
manager reportedly told a tenant, "You Russian f----n' Jew, we
don't want you here, move out." (Hollywood)
- New York (150 incidents) - 9/21/99 Two individuals,
one residing in Manhattan, the other in the Bronx, received the
same anti-Semitic E-mail, which stated that "Jews are the spawn
of Satan."
- New Jersey (91 incidents) - 10/20/99 Several high school
students harassed a Jewish student, screaming anti-Semitic remarks,
and throwing pennies at him. (Hackensack)
- Massachusetts (75 incidents) - 12/12/99 The owner of
a retail auto business received an anonymous hate mailing including
a sheet entitled, "How to identify a Jew." (Lowell)
- Florida (62 incidents) - 12/10/99 - 77year-old Aris
Paxinos confessed to making a series of false bomb threats to
Broward County synagogues and to 911. The calls had been occurring
since May. Paxinos was identified following a 911 call. He is
charged with 13 felony counts and is awaiting trial.
- Connecticut (54 incidents) - 6/1/99 - An anonymous caller
twice phoned a call-in program on a public access cable television
station and made anti-Semitic statements, including references
to "Blood-sucking Jews." (Hartford)
- Pennsylvania (54 incidents) - 12/99 Threatening, anti-Semitic
letters were sent to the office of the American Jewish Committee,
along with 16 other AJC regional offices throughout the country.
The letter read in part, "This is just to announce that we will
be Y2K compliant ...We want to be ready to take this war to the
next level against you kikes... All Jews should burn in H--l.
"
- Illinois (22 incidents) - 12/30/99 - An anti-Semitic
message was left on the voice mail of The Regional Director of
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation: "Yeah, all you f-g Jews better
act ready because when the year 2000 comes, Hitler's coming and
burning all you f-g Jews." (Skokie)
- Michigan (22 incidents) - 5/4/99 - The owner of transportation
company said he "would never pick up any Jews from West Bloomfield
because they are too cheap." (West Bloomfield)
- Texas (19 incidents) - 6/27/99 Distribution of an anti-Semitic
booklet entitled "Who Rules America," published by The National
Alliance, a neo-Nazi organization, was reported by a Jewish couple
who found the booklet in their mailbox. (Houston)
|
