Report: Anti-Semitic Incidents On The Rise In North Carolina

North Carolina joins a list of two other states and the District of Columbia showing significant rises in anti-Semitism. 

The Anti-Defamation League's interim study released Thursday shows Maryland topping the regional list of reported incidents between January 1st and September 30th with 23, followed by Washington D.C. and Virginia, each with 22. In North Carolina, during that same span, 15 incidents were reported. At this point last year, that number was one.

Anti-Semitic incidents include harassment, bullying, and vandalism. ADL Regional Director Doron Ezickson says the dramatic increase is concerning.

"I think it's important for us to understand that with all the heightened sensitivity and heightened activity including Charlottesville and its aftermath, that we are both seeing more expressions of bigotry and racism including anti-Semitism, and we're also seeing in parallel a much higher degree of understanding and sensitivity to the importance of reporting these incidents," says Ezickson.

He adds that the current escalation is due in part to the times in which we live.

"In this case, we do discern an increase in part to what we attribute to be a political environment in which people who have hateful ideologies are more willing to express them and more willing to act on them," says Ezickson. "That certainly was illustrated in very high relief in Charlottesville, and our numbers also show a noticeable increase in the number of reported incidents after Charlottesville. So, we reflect on this as being an atmosphere where people with hateful ideologies feel more emboldened, and a more knowledgeable public who says, ‘If I see something, I need to say something.'"

According to Ezickson, other key factors contributing to spikes in expressions of hate include the season, particularly around holidays, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.