The Hatred on Our Doorsteps | The Free Press

A synagogue in Berlin was firebombed. In Paris, the door of an elderly Jewish couple s apartment was burnedmezuzah. According to London police, there were 218 antisemitic hate crimes reported in the capital between October 1 and 18, a 1,350 percent increase over the same period last year. Mobs across the world have gathered to cheer for Hamas s barbarism. And, as we have reported, Jews have been intimidated and demeaned in American cities and on U.S. university campuses in recent weeks. 

If there is anything more ulcer-inducing than the rise in explicit Jew-hatred, it is the denial and downplay of it. 

Take, for example, an exchange at the White House press briefing on Monday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about President Biden s level of concern right now about a potential rise of antisemitism. Jean-Pierre could not even bring herself to acknowledge the problem. Instead, she pivoted to anti-Muslim hate crimes:

We have not seen any credible threats. I know there s been all these questions about credible threats. And so, [I] just want to make sure that s out there. But look, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks, and certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab American, and Palestinian American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities. 

The White House s spokesperson could not state the basic truth about the antisemitic hate we have seen in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre claimed she had misheard the question. But her claim about American Muslims being disproportionately targeted isn t even correct. According to FBI data, Muslims make up about 1 percent of the population and are the target of 9.6 percent of religion-related hate crimes. Jews make up about 2 percent of the population and are the target of 51.4 percent of religion-related hate crimes. 

via www.thefp.com