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The Findings
- The number of anti-Semitic incidents documented by the Anti-Defamation
League fell to a total of 1,547 incidents from 1,611 in
1998, a 4 percent decrease. Of the instances of anti-Semitism
in 1999, there were 868 cases of harassment (down 3 percent
from 896 in 1998), and 679 acts of vandalism (down
5 percent from 715 in 1998). Harassment and vandalism incidents
represent 56 percent and 44 percent of the total incidents, respectively,
which represents the same proportion as in 1998. ADL's 1998 Audit
reported 896 incidents of harassment (56 percent of the total)
and 715 (44 percent) instances of anti-Semitic vandalism.
- Continuing a nine-year trend, there were more acts
of anti-Semitic harassment (868) than vandalism (679) in
1999. Most of the targets of harassment were individuals (737,
or 85 percent of the total), while the remaining cases of harassment
(131, or 15 percent of the total) were directed against Jewish
institutions, including synagogues, Jewish schools and community
centers. In 1998, harassment against individuals accounted for
80 percent of the total number of harassment incidents.
- Once again, the five states reporting the most anti-Semitic
incidents in 1999 are New York (352), California (275),
New Jersey (226), Massachusetts (111), and Florida (88).
Together, these states (with the largest Jewish populations and
thus the most targets of opportunity) account for 1,054 of the
1,547 incidents reported (68 percent). New York, California and
Massachusetts showed increases, while New Jersey and Florida showed
decreases in the number of reported incidents.
- The decrease in vandalism incidents in 1999 is mainly due to
decreases in attacks against Jewish institutions and privately
owned Jewish property. Vandalism against public property increased,
however, from 277 in 1998, to 302 in 1999, an increase of
9 percent, reflecting a growing trend of improved security measures
at Jewish institutions, with perpetrators seeking out less well
guarded public targets.
- After a 21 percent decrease in 1998, in 1999 anti-Semitic incidents
on college campuses decreased by 30 percent, to
60. This represents the fewest number of campus incidents
since 1989, when 69 incidents were reported to ADL. Campus anti-Semitic
incidents have declined by more than half over the past five years.
As in the past, the majority of campus incidents in 1998 fell
under the category of harassment.
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