Anti-Semitic Crime Numbers Surge, Philly Expert Weighs In On Why
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- From tombstone vandalism, to harassment, and threats Anti-Semitic hate crimes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey see a double digit surge according to a national audit, and a local expert weighs in about the possible reasons behind the uptick.
Jeremy Bannett with the The Anti-Defamation League says in 2016 there was a 34 percent jump in Anti-Semitic hate crimes around the country.
"We've had a 14 percent increase in New Jersey, and a 56 percent increase in Pennsylvania," said Bannett.
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He says the numbers for this year are on pace to surpass 2016.
Bannett says that over the years, they've noticed several reasons for upticks in Anti-Semitic hate crimes.
"We've found that at times of political uncertainty, social unrest, down turns in the economy, or when Isreal's involved in a major war that sort of thing, that Anti-Semitic incidents tend to spike," he said.
Bannett adds that the ADL has tracked Anti-Semitic crimes across the country since 1979, and the most violent year to date was 1994 where there were 2,066 incidents.
