Antisemitic incidents at an all-time high in U.S.

On The Warning podcast this week, I spoke with Jonathan Greenblatt, the executive director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), about the alarming rise of extremism, and antisemitism specifically, in the United States.

Last month, the ADL released a very disturbing report that showed a 36 percent increase in antisemitic incidents throughout the U.S. in 2022. It was the highest number on record since the organization began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

Five states combined — New York, California, New Jersey, Florida and Texas —account for 54 percent of the total number of incidents. Yesterday, the ADL issued another report — “Hate in the Golden State: Extremism and Antisemitism in California, 2021-2022” — that found that the number of antisemitic incidents in California have increased dramatically — and that they are especially dangerous events.

I asked Jonathan about the forces affecting the rise of extremism today. He believes that the ascendence of populism, combined with transformative changes related to globalism and technology, combined with hyper-partisanship, create a fertile environment for extremists to exploit a collective sense of anxiety. And, extremists have moved from the margins to the mainstream as a result of being welcomed by people like Donald Trump, as well as through social media.

I would strongly encourage you to read the ADL reports, and to watch this important conversation. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.