With the High Holidays approaching, leaders and community members are watching with concern rising threats to Jewish houses of worship. In the last two months, almost 50 synagogues across the US have been evacuated due to bomb threats. These fears are magnified by the increasing levels of antisemitism on social media, where just this week, for example, ex-U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney promoted a livestream event featuring notorious white supremacist David Duke and black nationalist author Ayo Kimathi, who authored a book titled 'Jews Are The Problem.'
The University of Pennsylvania is facing significant backlash from leaders in the Jewish community, for hosting a 'Palestine Writes Literature Festival' next week featuring several figures who have a long-standing recording of espousing antisemitic rhetoric.
Across Europe, multiple antisemitic incidents involving acts of violence and hate speech were reported. In Berlin, antisemitic graffiti featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a devil’s tail was sprayed near the Ministry of Finance building. In France, YaĆ«l Braun-Pivet, the president of the country’s National Assembly, received an antisemitic letter with a yellow Star of David drawn on it. In Budapest, Hungary, an Israeli tour guide and her mother were accosted and assaulted by a group of individuals making antisemitic gestures and statements.
From Australia to Germany, and the United Kingdom to the United States, numerous leaders repudiated Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’ claim that the Nazis murdered Jews due to “their social role.” Despite the backlash, the PA doubled down on its leader’s long track record of Holocaust denial and distortion.
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