JNS publishes a weekly listing of antisemitic incidents recorded and found by Jewish, pro-Jewish and pro-Israel organizations; national and international news; and social media. By the Anti-Defamation League’s count, an average of seven instances of varying measure occur daily in the United States. (Dates refer to when the news was reported, not when the events took place.) Also included are news items detailing efforts to combat antisemitism and research anti-Jewish bigotry.
May 20
In the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue mass-shooting trial, the judge granted the defense’s request to seal the juror names until after the trial is completed. A Nevada school recalled its yearbooks after attention was brought to an anonymously attributed quote from a neo-Nazi. “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free” was spray-painted on a street outside the Chabad at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Swastikas were discovered in a high school bathroom in Massachusetts, at a Georgia school (defacing a student’s project) and on a tree in London. Antisemitic fliers were found in an Oklahoma City neighborhood. France froze 25 million euros (nearly $27 million) belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, called Ukraine “a half-decayed neo-Nazi country.”
May 21
In Chicago, a swastika was found made of painter’s tape on a garbage can. TV personality and rapper Nick Cannon, who was under fire himself for antisemitic language, has spoken up about his efforts to dissuade “Ye” (formerly known as Kanye West) from the same.
May 22, 2023
Antisemitic fliers were found in Virginia. Two neo-Nazis were sentenced for their plans to attack the U.S. power grid. Police at the University of Maryland are investigating multiple racist and antisemitic incidents at a student dorm. Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes was caught defending men who want to marry 16-year-olds: “Even if it’s not legal, that doesn’t always mean it’s wrong.” Conspiracist Alex Jones now claims that Ye’s appearance on his show was part of a “super-Nazi” conspiracy and that the Anti-Defamation League is part of the “New World Order crowd” that seeks to impose tyranny.
May 23
A 19-year-old man crashed his U-Haul into a White House barrier and then emerged waving a swastika flag. He was arrested and charged with threatening to kill the president. Wikipedia is being criticized for alleged rampant Holocaust distortion on the website and for not punishing those engaging in it with adequate severity. A synagogue in Palm Beach, Fla., is honoring a local sheriff who has aggressively opposed neo-Nazis, a stance that has provoked death threats.
May 24
A video circulated online of a Jew receiving antisemitic abuse in London. A juvenile was arrested for antisemitic vandalism on a trash can in Chicago. At a city council meeting in Sacramento, Calif., left-wing activists clashed with neo-Nazis doing Hitler salutes. An activist follower of white supremacist Nick Fuentes pleaded guilty to making threats against the conservative college student group Turning Point USA. The Gap is suing Ye for $2 million, following a failed partnership.
May 25
A swastika was found spray-painted on an electricity box in Cape Town, South Africa. An Ohio student has been disciplined after being caught drawing a swastika on an LGBTQ pride flag in a classroom. A huge quantity of cocaine, worth $6.8 million, was seized in Peru; investigators found it wrapped in swastika packaging and stamped with Hitler’s name. A video has circulated online of Montreal students performing Hitler salutes and making Hitler mustaches while a teacher looks on doing nothing. New research shows that Texas neo-Nazi group Aryan Freedom Network is increasing both its social media and real-world efforts.
