2007 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents
Harassment by Hate Groups
Posted: March 5, 2008
In 2007, a total of 43 incidents related to extremist group activity were reported to ADL, compared to 77 in 2006 (down by 44%) and 112 in 2005. Harassment in the form of leafleting and distribution of hate propaganda around neighborhoods and rallies in public areas were the main source of anti-Semitic incidents by organized hate groups reported in the ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents.
The decrease was in large part due to a substantial reduction in the number of reported incidents of anti-Semitic leafleting.
Hate groups continue to utilize the Internet to spread their message of hate. Groups such as the National Socialist Movement and Ku Klux Klan actively contributed to the continued Internet circulation of anti-Jewish conspiracy charges and theories of Jewish control of government, finance and the media.
There are literally thousands of hate sites found on the Internet, and these continued to multiply in 2007. Many of these sites include Internet radio shows and downloadable music and games with anti-Semitic themes and propaganda. Extremists also continued to exploit social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, and You Tube and blogs, using text messages and videos to propagate anti-Semitism. The ADL Audit does not count incidents occurring in cyberspace, as such expressions are extremely difficult to quantify.
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