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Wave of anti-Semetic and anti-Muslim threats hits since Middle East war began

Oct 31, 2023 1:04 pm

Josh Meyer reports for USA Today that police, and the governor of New York, responded to anti-Semitic threats posted to a Cornell University fraternity and sorority forum over the weekend that mentioned killing Jews on campus. There have been a series of similar incidents on college campuses across the nation since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in early October. The posts to Cornell forums included threats to rape female Jewish students and behead Jewish babies in front of their parents and to follow Jewish students home from campus and slit their throats. That brought Gov. Kathy Hochul to campus to talk to students. Hochul said, “We will not tolerate threats or antisemitism or any kind of hatred that makes people feel vulnerable and exposes people and makes them feel insecure in a place where they should be enjoying their campus life, without fear that someone could cause them harm.” The Anti-Defamation League reports incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault against Jews so far have increased by 388 percent over the same period last year since the war began. An Anti-Defamation League report showed 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7-23 this year, 190 of which were directly linked to the war in Israel and Gaza. The Council on American Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said on Oct. 30 that it has received 774 complaints, including reported bias incidents, since Oct. 7. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said, "The American Muslim community's determination remains unshaken and, God willing, we will continue to speak up for the human rights of all people, including Palestinians." Read more about this story at USA Today.