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ADL: Anti-Semitic incidents in Colorado down in 2018; white supremacist propaganda 3rd highest in US

New threats to US Jewish centers
Posted at 11:50 AM, Apr 30, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-30 13:50:52-04

DENVER — The number of anti-Semitic incidents reported in Colorado was down in 2018, according to new data from the Anti-Defamation League.

ADL said there was a total of 39 reported incidents of anti-Semitism in Colorado last year, down from 57 in 2017 and 45 in 2016.

Of the 39 incidents reported in Colorado in 2018, 28 involved harassment and 11 involved vandalism, ADL said. There were no reported cases of anti-Semitic assault in Colorado last year.

Colorado also saw a high number of white supremacist propaganda-related incidents in 2018, according to ADL, which documented three white supremacist rallies and 72 cases of white supremacist literature distribution. Those numbers are the third highest in the country behind California and Texas.

Nationally, ADL documented 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents, a decrease from the 1,986 incidents reported in 2017.

Despite declines in the overall number of anti-Semitic incidents, ADL said such occurrences remain at historic highs both in Colorado and across the country — the 1,879 incidents reported nationally in 2018 is the third-highest number since ADL started tracking anti-Semitism in the 1970s. 2018 also saw some high-profile anti-Semitic attacks, including the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh that left 11 people dead.

“We welcome any decline in anti-Semitic incidents. We remain concerned, however, that the level of reported anti-Semitic incidents over the last three years is the highest in more than a decade,” said ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin. “We will not be happy until no individuals, families or Jewish institutions are targeted with anti-Semitic hate. To achieve this, we must all remain vigilant and continue to push back again anti-Semitism and other forms of hate.”

Nationwide, ADL identified 59 individuals who were victims of anti-Semitic attacks last year, up from 21 in 2017.

For more information, visit adl.org.