While much of the increase in antisemitic activity on Long Island can be attributed to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant movement, organizations that track such activity say the rise in antisemitism has been seen for the past several years, and it must continue to be confronted and exposed.
“We’ve seen a significant increase over the years. But following the war, incidents have really skyrocketed,” says Eric Post, Regional Director of the American Jewish Committee, a Jewish advocacy organization.
The war was triggered by the Hamas terroist organization’s Oct. 7th attack last year which killed more than 1,200 Israelis. Hundreds of hostages still being held by the group.
Post added that these kinds of upticks are often seen during either election season or events in the Middle East. But he noted that with the war already more than six months old, “this is an unusual uptick because it’s spilling over on college campuses and in public schools.”
Some experts believe that foreign influence, including countries such as Iran, Qatar and Russia, are partly to blame for the rise in antisemitism in schools and campuses by funding global misinformation campaigns that paint Israel as colonizers or oppressors.
In Nassau County, police reported 45 hate incidents against Jews last year, compared with 35 in 2022. Suffolk County police said there were 20 hate crimes in 2022, while 52 were classified as hate incidents, meaning they didn’t meet federal legal criteria for hate crimes.
Suffolk police also reported that “Anti-Jewish was the most prevalent motivation for hate incidents in 2022, followed by anti-Black and anti-multiple race.”
Asked about what other mechanisms may be fueling the current spike in antisemitism, Post says there are several factors including social media, the pandemic, and partisanship in the country, where people don’t talk to each other.
“Antisemitism comes from the far right (neo-Nazis) as well as lately the far left, people who deny Israel’s right to exist, Black Hebrew Israelites, people who misinterpret Islam. We believe we need to be vigilant…We need people to be courageous and step up and counter antisemitism wherever they see it.”
Many of the antisemitic incidents amount to graffiti in the form of swastikas as well as some physical assaults, according to Avi Posnick, StandWithUs Northeast Director. StandWithUs is an international nonpartisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism.
Post also adds that another part of the problem is that many Jews are reluctant to report incidents. He says the percentage of Jews who fail to report incidents is more than 80% and that “the organization is working to get those numbers up to get an accurate picture of the problems we’re facing.”
But, along with the rise in tensions and antisemitic incidents, many individuals and organizations are actively involved in trying to reverse the trend and promote understanding and tolerance among Jews, Christians, Muslims and others.
Post says that among AJC’s various initiatives is the Municipal Leaders Against Antisemitism program which meets twice per year and brings together county officials in a bipartisan, bi-county initiative to identify antisemitism and discuss prevention and response methods and best ways to tackle problems head-on.
“We work off the White House strategy to counter antisemitism…All these incidents happen on local levels and we share actions they’ve taken to further these goals.” He adds that people want to do the right thing, but sometimes the issue is having the resources and knowing what to say and do.
In addition, he says the organization’s Community of Conscience program works to increase hate-crime reporting. “We worked on getting the 311 line in Suffolk County to receive antisemitism reports…Getting people to report is very challenging. It’s a battle we’re in for the long term as this issue affects every community.”
During calmer times, the Interfaith Institute of Long Island, located at the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, has served to help engage Muslims, Jews and members of other faiths by promoting values and teachings of Islam and other faiths and to advocate/promote interfaith harmony in a multicultural environment.
Dr. Isma Chaudhry, a board member, interfaith activist and spokesperson for the center, has been “very involved” in building bridges between the two communities and said it breaks her heart “to see the polarization of the two communities at this time…I do wish and pray that we can sit together and discuss and talk about the sensitivities on both sides.”
However, she added that at this time, “the interfaith activities on Long Island are a little toned down because of the conflict and the sensitivities of both the communities, but we are hopeful that we will be able to restore each other’s trust and respect.”
Posnick pointed out that StandWithUs also has several initiatives in place on the island to help stem the tide of antisemitism and intolerance towards Jews as well as toward Muslims and other groups.
“We’re working with a coalition of organizations in both Nassau and Suffolk counties,” he said, noting that he is also a member of the Nassau County Special Legislative Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism in addition to a special working group convened by the Suffolk County Executive.
StandWithUs is also part of a 14-member coalition that is working together to best tackle antisemitism on Long Island. That group, https://longislandsupportsisrael.org/ , offers a variety of in-person events, education and support services, to help people affected by the war in the Middle East as well as by antisemitic incidents at home and at schools and campuses across the island.
Posnick also helped coordinate efforts with superintendents to ensure that students are supported and protected and that schools have the resources they need to counter antisemitic incidents and to educate about Israel.
“StandWithUs is vehemently opposed to racist hatred expressed towards any minority group, including Muslims.”
Moreover, even abroad there are individuals trying to make a difference to promote both tolerance and peaceful coexistence among Jews and Muslims.
Towhidul Islam, a Muslim digital marketer from Bangladesh, is a “Muslim who stands with Israel.”
“As a Muslim who not only stands with Israel but actively engages with Jewish communities, I always inquire about their well-being, ask how their kids are doing, discuss their daily plans, favorite foods, and I am even learning Hebrew from them,” says Islam.
He says that it is crucial to understand the history of the land of Israel. “Knowing our shared past can help us start meaningful conversations. It’s vital that we, as Muslims, engage in open and peaceful dialogues with Jewish communities to foster better understanding and coexistence.” More information on his interfaith activities can be found at https://patreon.com/standwithisrael.
And on the national front, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, spearheads the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) whose mission is to reach out to non-Jews and Jews via powerful positive messaging and partnerships and enable people to help and defend the Jewish community.
The group has been running regular television public service announcements and billboards imploring people to “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” using a familiar blue square with various statistics about the outsized amount of hate directed towards Jews in the U.S. given their small numbers. Jews comprise only about 2.4% of the U.S. population yet the group says that Jewish hate is up 388% in the country.
Posnick adds, “This is an important time for university and high school administrations and law enforcement to adhere to their own rules of civility in order to create safer environments in our schools and communities for everyone, including Jews.”
